Home & Family
by Bojack727
Summary: After the Reaper War, Shepard & Garrus are on Earth, helping with the rebuilding, when Shep gets a message from her mom, who wants to meet her "boyfriend". Jane hasn't had a chance to tell her he's a Turian! And they haven't even gone to Palaven yet to meet Garrus' family! Plenty of Shakarian fluff & humor as the two meet their in-laws, plan their wedding, try to adopt & more.
1. Prologue: The Crucible

I wrote this as a prologue to the real story, and I've already written the first chapter, so I'll probably post it when I'm done writing chapter two. This is a reinterpretation of the crappy ending of the third game, and it's based in part on the fan-created ending. It's amazing how something created by a fan, cobbled together through editing (and the use of previously unrelated scenes, and amateur voice acting) is so much better than the dreck presented to us by the actual game makers...

* * *

**MASS EFFECT  
HOME AND FAMILY**

_**"The Crucible" **_

Shepard made her way into the dark halls of the devastated innards of the Citadel. Everywhere, signs of death and destruction littered the area. Everything was in decay, heavy with the sour odor of blood and burnt-out machinery. Shepard felt horrible at the moment, though she wondered how much of the pain was being blocked by the numbness from her injuries...

When she finally arrived at some kind of control room, and the atmosphere suddenly felt heavy around Shepard as stepped over the threshold. The Commander saw Anderson, standing in the middle of the illuminated chamber, stiff and awkward, clearly held by some unseen power.

"Shepard..." He managed to say, a tremble in his deep voice. The Admiral looked like hell, battered and bloody, as bad as she felt at the moment.

"...Anderson?" She countered after a moment, even more confused.

"_Ah, so good of you to join us, Commander."_ A familiar voice began.

Shepard turned to see the Illusive Man approaching them. It took a moment, in her current stat, but she realized he looked like a Husk. It was as if his eyes were the source of the corruption- sprouting out and burning away at the flesh, like the strands of a spider's web. Dark lines, interspersed with bits of visible glowing technology, scarred the sides of his face- across his cheeks and his lower jaw and mouth- and down his neck and chest, until they vanished under his wrinkled shirt and suit jacket.

He smiled at her, which only made the effect even more macabre- lines forming in his weathered skin as his cheeks pulled tight, his lips curving into an unnatural rictus grin. Suddenly, it wasn't just a Husk that he reminded her of, with his gray skin and wrinkled clothes... It was as if he'd died and come back to life a day later, with the intricacies of the body all wrong from disuse.

"I underestimated you, Shepard... But no longer." He began. "It's over, I won't allow you to endanger everything that I've worked so hard to realize." He continued. "It's amazing, there's power in this place, power enough to control even the Reapers!" The man exclaimed. "You can feel it too, can't you?"

Shepard strained under the oppressive atmosphere. "If you're so damn powerful... then why haven't you killed us already and gotten on with whatever the hell it is your planning?"

"Because I need you to understand." The Illusive Man replied, smirking. "Of all the people, Shepard, you should appreciate what I'm doing here." He explained. "Even with all the implants it took to bring you back, you're still too... _human_ to appreciate it." He continued. "Before we started Project Lazarus, we didn't know if we could safely integrate Reaper tech into a human without compromising them..."

"After all we'd learned, there were still risks..." He paused. "Even Kai Leng wasn't a total success... I'd had such high hopes for him, but he was already showing early signs of deterioration. He was eager and driven, but he didn't have the will of a leader- like you and I- to resist the effects."

"You let yourself be compromised, just like Saren..." Shepard countered. "Once you open yourself to them in any way, you belong to the Reapers."

"No, I'm nothing like Saren... He _chose_ to serve them." The Illusive Man replied. "My mind remains my own... I told you that Cerberus was more than just an organization, it's an idea... And so the _idea_ of Cerberus lives on all of us who serve Humanity."

"Bullshit! Don't listen to him!" Anderson exclaimed.

The Illusive Man turned to him with a scornful look. "And just who _should_ she listen to then, you?" He asked him in a low tone. "You're nothing more than a burnt out soldier, set in his ways, only able to see things from down the barrel of a gun." He commented in a mocking tone. "No, this is about power... Power to change the destiny of humanity."

"And you'd risk all of humanity for the sake of a theory?" Shepard asked.

"When Humanity first discovered Prothian technology on Mars, there were those who scared of it, who wanted to destroy it." The Illusive Man replied. "And look at us now, using that technology advanced the human race by decades..." He continued. "And now, through the use of the Reapers, Humanity will emerge as the unchallenged power of the Galaxy!"

"Look at you, you're indoctrinated!" Anderson snapped angrily. "How many humans have died because of you- thousands, millions?" He asked with effort. "You're lying to yourself!"

"I'm the one in control, not the Reapers, I _will_ control them!"

"You've betrayed humanity, for your own selfish ambitions, and now you're about to doom the entire human race to extinction!" Anderson declared.

"Shut up!"

"Maybe, if you're lucky, the next cycle will talk about you... About the man who doomed all of galactic civilization to destruction because of his own ego!" Anderson mocked, his voice horse.

"Enough!" The Illusive Man bellowed, grabbing the sides of his head as he angrily repeated the word again and again, as if chanting to himself. "No! No! I- I'm the one in control! I've sacrificed everything to get to this point, and I won't let _anyone_ stop me!"

He turned to Shepard, seething, and the injured woman felt her arm gripped by an unseen force, aiming her pistol at Anderson, then as her finger was forced around the trigger and pulled it.

*BANG!*

Anderson grunted in pain, staggered, and fell to the floor as the force controlling Shepard began to ebb and recede. She watched helplessly, devastated as the Illusive man knelt down and retrieved Anderson's sidearm and turned to glare at Shepard. "Now Commander... It's just the two of us. I had to silence your friend, but I hope I don't have to do the same thing to you."

Shepard exhaled. "You're pathetic... You've destroyed more human lives than any alien ever has, you destroyed the organization you built, and you destroyed everything that makes you human... And what do you have to show for it- nothing." She rasped. "It's over, you've failed... And now, the human race is going to pay for your failure." She finished, tiredly.

"No, you're wrong- you're the failure!" He countered angrily, becoming unfocused as he descended into an angry rant. "You're nothing but an insig-"

*BANG!*

The Illusive Man staggered back, hunched over and gasping, black oily "blood" seeping from the bullet wound in his chest. Shepard advanced, a grim look on her face- their eyes meeting for an instant as he looked up to her- as she pulled the trigger again.

*BANG!*

The second shot hit the man dead center- knocking him down and reducing him to a crumpled heap on the floor. Shepard appeared over him, as he reached up, his outstretched hand trembling. "No... It can't end, not like this..." He gasped out, his glowing eyes flickering. "Humanity, it needs..."

She placed her boot on his chest. "No, it doesn't." Shepard interrupted. "It's over- you're finished, and Cerberus dies with you." She added, pointing the gun down at him. "Cerberus is _not_ Humanity... Just as Mankind doesn't need a 'watchdog'... We forge our own path."

*BANG!*

The shot pierced his heart, more of the black blood spilling out and staining his shirt a dark gray color as he gasped for breath. "You'll never understand... The Galaxy doesn't exist to be ruled over, its there to be explored and learned from... by all races, all living things." Shepard lamented.

His eyes dimmed and his body went slack. Shepard lowered the pistol and tossed it aside, then turned to look at the glowing control panel situated at the head of the room. She closed her eyes, struggling to stay upright and alert as she made her way over the controls.

Shepard leaned over the control panel, shaking her head and blinking her eyes, trying to focus.

"_Commander, do you read me?" _Hackett's voice crackled over the intercom._ "Come in, Shepard, the Crucible isn't doing anything. Everything's ground to a halt."_

She snapped to attention, just as the transmission faded. "No, dammit Jane, you've come to far to crap out in the final moment." Shepard reprimanded herself. "I made a promise... I just hafta finish up here and then... Then I can settle down a nice beach somewhere... and live off the royalties from the vids."

The redhead smirked, a faint chuckle escaping her lips. Just then, everything around seemed to come to life as massive panels opened up, the circular chamber vanishing to reveal a sprawling, cathedral-like center around her. As Shepard turned around, trying to take in the change in her surroundings, a small, ghost-like form appeared before her...

"What... _the fuck?"_

**(- _End of Prologue_ -)**

* * *

As stated in the opening comments, this is only the prologue to a larger story. I'll get into the details more in the next chapter- about why I did this- but for now, I hope you guys will stick around for the real first chapter- when thing really start moving.


	2. Chapter 01: The Shepards, Pt 1

I want to thank Someone Else Took My Name for their review. And I hope you guys enjoy this first chapter

* * *

**MASS EFFECT  
HOME AND FAMILY**

**Chapter 01:  
_"The Shepards, Pt 1"_**

Against all odds, they'd stopped the Reapers and broken the cycle of extinction. Once again, they had done the impossible- rallied the races under a common cause, after centuries of conflict and infighting, and saved the entire galaxy... But then, achieving that which so many others would deem impossible had somehow become their stock and trade over the years.

And always at the core of these endeavors, was Commander Jane Shepard: decorated for her valor at the Skyllian Blitz, the first human to become a Spectre, the hero of the Battle for the Citadel, honored for her numerous diplomatic achievements, noted as a peacemaker and advocate, a natural-born leader who held the unwavering loyalty of those who served with her...

Jane always blushed when people started talking about her like that!

As far as Shepard was concerned, she was just another soldier, simply doing her duty- only her duties often put her in positions where she affected galactic matters! Personally, she didn't see herself as being anything special- just the right person, who just _happened_ to be in the right place at the right time- able to make the most difference when it counted.

Furthermore, Shepard hardly thought of herself as anything like a diplomat- she was a career soldier, an Alliance Marine, trained to handle problems with the business end of a rifle. Being a graduate of the N7 program, and later a Council Spectre had only served to make things more problematic, given that she was now expected- even encouraged- to play fast and loose with galactic law.

She'd fumbled her way through a number of conflicts in which she had to deal with opposing factions, both on the battlefield and across the proverbial/literal table. And while Shepard tried to see the myriad shades of gray that often colored these conflicts she had been thrown into, her basic reasoning usually came to rather simple logic in the end...

At the end of the day, when everything was said and done, Humanity had taken it's place in the stars, and become part of something bigger- the Galactic Community. And if she'd learned anything from all the centuries-old adventure serials and reruns of Doctor Who... It was that an individual's worth was measured by their willingness to go forth and try to make a difference. Otherwise, if not, she didn't deserve any of the titles and accolades bestowed upon her, let alone her uniform.

Since retaking Earth from the Reapers- when she'd rejected the Catalyst AI's terms and defiantly told it to piss off and go to hell- then turned the Crucible _on_ the Reapers, and _only_ the Reapers, for she'd seen the fatal paradox that it had tried to obfuscate from her with its endless speeches. The Reapers desired order, but the "order" that they imposed was founded on flawed logic.

They engineered the cycles to control the development of life and prevent conflict between organic and synthetic life... Without realizing that they- _as the instigators_\- were the route cause of any conflicts that occurred during these cycles. In est, the cycles had become their own justification.

Far too many had died already- her friends included- for Shepard to be taken in by the circular logic of some machine that only now, faced with possible defeat, deemed to finally reveal itself. Especially not when the "choices" it offered so brazenly went against what everyone had fought and died for...

What the thing had failed to understand was the she was no one's puppet! She was a living being, with a mind of her own and free will! Shepard was not about to just accede to the arbitrary demands of some nebulous entity with a god complex simply because it told her to. Frankly, the whole song and dance it put forth had failed to impress her, nor was she frightened by impotent threats of extermination when faced with her open defiance to its demands.

Even in her battered and bloodied state, she realized that the Catalyst had no power over her, the truth was that _she_ who had power over _it- _regardless of what the "child" had told her_._ And so, Shepard chose to blow the Reapers to hell- _and only the Reapers_\- because as a human, she wasn't hidebound to logic like the limited machines she and her allies were fighting!

**. . . …o.o.o... . . .**

The SSV Normandy was docked in Las Angeles for repairs, with its crew currently out on extended shore-leave while the relays were being repaired. Ironically, in the process of stealing the Citadel and bringing it to Earth, the Illusive man had helped ensure the survival of the dextro-based races.

At the moment, there were nearly a hundred thousand aliens, aboard various ships, around the Citadel and the Sol Relay, as both underwent repairs. There were also a few thousand aliens- including medics, engineers, and peacekeepers- currently planet-side. Among them, were some of Shepard's friends and crew mates, now filling various roles in the aftermath.

Because of its newly-acquired cultural significance, it was likely that a number of the other races were eager to set up permanent embassies. This was one of the reasons why Garrus, Tali, Liara, Kirrahe and others had opted to remain planet-side for the foreseeable future. After decades of human progress, it had taken a catastrophic galactic war to out humanity's potential.

It would still be some time before the Sol Relay was operational, though the current projections were cautiously optimistic. Since the pulse from the Catalyst originated from the Local System, the level of damage to the mass relays was seemingly in inverse proportion to its proximity, meaning that the relay gates in Council Space were the most in need of repairs.

Presently, Shepard was in one of the offices of the Alliance's LA Base. For the moment, she was living in one of the unused officer's quarters. Jane Shepard, or "Captain Shepard", as she was now commonly referred to, having been promoted after the war... Just over a month before she announced her plans to retire from active duty within a year's time. No one could begrudge her choice, given that she'd gone through more in three and a half years than most Commanders experienced in a decade.

She paused to look at the data pad in her hand, her body framed by the sunlight pouring through slatted blinds covering the window. Shepard was currently wearing her navy blue officer uniform. Her jacket, with the recently added captain's gold bar on the shoulder epaulettes, like a small cloak... Given that her left shoulder and arm were still too sore to try and insert it into the crisp sleeve. She paused, lowering the pad briefly, as she considered her current state.

Her battered N7 dog tags hung around her neck, over her gray military undershirt, concealing the still-healing skin grafts she'd undergone- the latest batch after her skin had been badly burned by the searing metal of her damaged armor (compliments of a laser blast from a Reaper). Fresh bandages were visible on her neck, arms and hands, with the ones on her thighs hidden by her trousers.

Thankfully, her soft and muscle tissue hadn't taken too much damage, and her face had come through will only a scrapes, cuts, and bruises. She was no stranger to scars, she had a half-dozen or so prior to being 'blown up' with the first Normandy. For whatever reason, Miranda- _bless her_\- had chosen not to include her battle scars when _rebuilding_ her. Ironically, after she healed up, she'd probably have a few more scars then her old "tally" from her N7 days...

Still, she couldn't help but smile, thinking back to what Garrus had said to her while she was bedridden, recovering in the hospital- _"Look on the bright side, Jane, now we're a matched set."_ Shepard failed to suppress a blush, thinking about how she liked his scars... In fact, she was pretty sure the Turian would be attracted to her battle scars- and would probably enjoy 'discovering' them.

Shepard was eager to talk with Garrus, especially since she'd recently gotten a particular message forwarded to her, via her omni-tool...

_Dear Jane,_

_The Alliance Brass is keeping me busy since we retook earth, mainly overseeing the rebuilding efforts in the South Pacific. For whatever reason, those "Reapers" (that's the name, right?) never got around to blowing up the Okanawa Base. Still, I'd be lost without the universal translators!_

_Well, anyway, that's enough about my problems. I got a message from Hackett, saying they're rotating in some new young Alliance bucks. I'm getting some time off soon, and I figured this would be a good a chance for us to finally catch up. Considering everything that's been happening to this planet and the galaxy, I'm sure you must have a lot that you want to talk about._

_I'll relay the coordinates to you when we touch down in LA. Can't wait to see you, especially since I heard some interesting rumors that my career soldier daughter is seeing someone!_

_See you soon._

_-Mom._

_PS. Be sure to bring your boyfriend along too, I can't wait to meet this man who finally managed to tie down my famous daughter._

Shepard sighed, setting the data pad down on the desk. She plopped herself into the chair, closed her eyes and exhaled. Her Mom- Rear Admiral Hanna Shepard- wanted to meet her boyfriend...

Jane knew this was inevitable, it was a foregone conclusion- since they'd committed to each other and their future together- that she would eventually introduce Garrus to her mother. Well, provided that they survived the whole _Reapers Harvesting the Galaxy_ mess. She was pretty sure that her mom wouldn't be all that shocked or upset that she was engaged to an alien- after all, she'd known full well that the girl she was rearing on star-ships was never going to be a _conventional_ woman.

The problem was that she had no idea _how_ on Earth she was going to broach the matter of her Turian fiance to her mother. Hell, the prospect of going to Palaven to be introduced to her future father-in-law and sister-in-law Solana were less intimidating at the moment. Shepard made a mental note to talk to Garrus about the matter, figuring he deserved some input in dealing with his future in-law.

**. . . ...o.o.o... . . .**

"If you think about it, Garrus, this really was inevitable." Shepard reasoned as she relaxed in the black leather armchair in her quarters. "Considering we're engaged, it was just a matter of finding the time to introduce you to my mom." She continued amiably. "The only thing that's actually changed now is that she'll be coming to us, instead of the other way around."

The Turian nodded. "Yes, you're right, Jane." Garrus replied. "I guess I'm really just nervous about the idea of meeting her..." He hesitated. "I mean, what if she doesn't like me?"

The redhead smiled almost nostalgically, recalling how similar his present uncertainty was to the way he'd behaved when they were first getting to know each other. Even before they were a couple Shepard knew that he was prone to lapses of insecurity and self-doubt... Not that she didn't find his bashfulness hopelessly endearing. To her, it had always been part of his charm.

"Garrus," Shepard began, getting to her feet. "This is my mother we're talking about, the woman who raised me, I don't think she'll object." She offered as she approached him. "If anything, she'll probably be more upset about the whole 'grandchildren' issue." She added jokingly, giving him a comforting smile as she reached up to brush a hand affectionately against his cheek.

His mandible twitched, and he seemed to relax a bit. A deep chuckle escaped his lips, the subtle shifts in the subharmonics of his voice were not lost on Jane, thanks to almost two years of having been in an intimate relationship with an alien with a flanging voice. He placed a taloned hand over hers, turning to meet her green eyes with his dark blue alien ones. She flashed him an inviting smile, prompting him to brush his other hand through her soft russet hair, running his slender digits through her collar-length hair, before caressing the pale skin of her cheek and jaw with his palm.

"You know," Garrus began with a knowing smile. "There's always adoption."

She chuckled softly. "Garrus," she began. "Come here, gimme a kiss." Shepard instructed him in a low voice, looking into his eyes. His hands moved to her waist, steadying her as she stood up the tips of her toes to meet him half-way as he leaned in- planting a kiss on his mouth. Garrus responded by opening his mouth and brushing his long tongue against her soft lips, earning a faint moan from the woman as her smaller tongue met his. After a moment, they parted and she looked into his eyes.

"She'll arrive some time tomorrow," Shepard continued. "Any way, out of curiosity, you've spoken with your dad and sister about the two of us, right?"

He nodded, his expression softening. "Yeah, I've been in communication with my father, he came out of retirement, and both of them are back on Palaven." Garrus replied, his tone all business again. "From what I read in the last message he sent me, I got the feeling that he and Solona are pretty eager to finally meet you." The Turian explained.

She nodded. "Well, then I'll probably need to get a new dress for the occasion..." Shepard mused with a thoughtful expression. "So, do Turian's expect an particular colors or styles for first meetings?"

**(- _End of Chapter 01_ -)**


	3. Chapter 02: The Shepards, Pt 2

**MASS EFFECT  
HOME AND FAMILY**

**Chapter 02:  
**_**"The Shepards, Pt 2"**_

After learning that Jane's mother, Rear Admiral Hanna Shepard, would be arriving to pay her daughter a visit, the human and the Turian set about figuring out the best way to break the news that the younger of the two Shepard women was engaged to an alien...

Ultimately, they decided to just come out with it. After all, Jane was confident that her mother wouldn't be upset by the news. But then, there were some fundamental differences between a person being open toward aliens and having your only child in a relationship with one. Again, as best as Jane could figure, her mother would likely be more upset by the prospect of not having any grandchildren.

Not that they hadn't considered the matter themselves... Jane and Garrus had casually talked about the prospect of adopting after they'd gotten married and settled down somewhere quiet. It was really just a matter of how many and what species. The two had half-jokingly, half-seriously entertained the idea of adopting a human and a Turian (and maybe a Krogan, after enough drinks had been imbibed).

Sadly, there was no lack of orphans from every race. The Alliance could help them by fast-tracking the process of adopting a young human boy or girl. And Palaven had been equally devastated, so there was no lack of parentless Turian children. After some thought, Jane secretly relished the idea of adopting a human and a Turian, and raising them totally as siblings- irregardless of species distinctions.

Shepard decided to bring the topic up, during one of their nights in, over drinks...

**. . . ...o.o.o... . . .**

Using her omni-tool, Jane Shepard skimmed through the holographic images of various bits of clothing and accessories. She knew that they'd be going to Palaven soon, and the trip- as well as the subsequent meeting with Garrus' sister, Solana, and the Elder Vakarian- was as good a reason as any for her to start shopping around for a new formal dress for the occasion.

"Hey, Garrus," Shepard began. "I'm looking at dresses... What do you think would be best for when we go to meet your family?" She asked without looking up from the omni-tool. "I mean, first meetings are really important, and I want to make a good impression on them."

"Hard to say," she heard him reply. "I guess... something flattering." Garrus offered her as he typed away at some document on his portable computer, at their dining room table. "Er," the Turian added, realizing that the human woman was giving him an incredulous look from the den. "That is, what I mean is... Turian female clothing is fundamentally different from what Terran females wear."

"Hmm," this seemed to peek her interest. "Alright, go on..." Shepard added, the holographic interface flickering off as she let her right arm fall to her side. She was wearing a loose-fitting tank top and a pair of shorts- exposing the smooth flesh of her arms and legs, along with fresh bandages

Even as she was still recovering, with all the bandages, the Turian couldn't help but find the sight of her to be quite arresting- with her elegant softness and gentle curves. He had to admit, it hadn't taken long for him to get used to- _addicted_\- to the soft, warmth the was characteristic of a human lover...

He closed the laptop. "Jane..." Garrus began. "Turian women don't have breasts, or hips and a waist like you have, to be considered when choosing clothing." He continued. "In the same way that you don't have a fringe or a crest, or any significant coloring or markings."

He paused, quietly watching as she entered the dining room, stopping only a few feet from to rest her hip against the lip of the table, propped up on one arm. "Regardless, your... um, curves are an obvious _asset_ in, er, presenting you." Garrus made a 'curving' gesture with his hands. "Plus, there's your hair, which is unique to your kind- and a rather lovely reddish orange color. And your eye color, green... Green's not a common color with my kind. So you're already striking by any Turian standard."

Shepard blushed faintly, then gave a slight chuckle. "Well," she began. "Thank goodness for these Irish genetics of mine, they're finally good for more than just giving me sun burns and freckles." She offered self-efacingly as as she rubbed the bridge of her nose thoughtfully.

Garrus's mandible shifted as he smiled. "I happen to like them Jane, they're cute." He offered, reclining slightly in his chair. "Good way of keeping track of where I am with you... and, while I'm _in_ you." The Turian added slyly, his voice low and silky smooth as he spoke the last part.

Jane scooted across the table, until she was before him, and leaned in. "You know, that _bedroom voice_ of yours really should be illegal." She remarked with a simmering gaze. "How about... We go continue this conversation in the bedroom, and you can _show_ me just how much you like them, hm?"

**. . . ...o.o.o... . . .**

Jane Shepard was quite a sight- decked out in her civies, with bandages on her arms and neck- as she waited in the large lobby, overlooking the landing area. From the observation deck on the second floor, she watched as the blue and white Alliance shuttles touched down on the landing pads.

Her injuries were still healing, so she was currently dressed in fairly loose fitting clothing. She wasn't in the mood to show off her legs at present- not with all the surgical bandages- so she was clad in a pair of light brown cargo pants and boots, along with an untucked white t-shirt and green vest. It took most of her will power to keep from scratching at the itches of her healing wounds, so she wasn't in much of a mood to 'clean up'- as she'd put it- on the rare occasions she'd had to wear formal or evening attire.

Normally, her Turian companion would have drawn the most attention. However, at the moment, the people around them were caught up in spotting _the_ Captain Shepard out of her uniform. As it was, they were either too surprised or simply too polite to approach her. She glanced at Garrus, unsure of how to gauge the effectiveness of Turian casual dress. It looked fine, like it usually did. But then, whenever he wasn't wearing his distinctive armor that she'd become so familiar with, it all just blurred together.

She made a note to herself to try and better remember how his non-combat related ensembles looked. Despite this, Shepard couldn't help but smirk, noting that he still wore his distinctive visor. She'd have to remember to also ask him about that- why he always wore the thing.

Not that it bothered her, really. Though, she did sometimes wonder if- through Garrus' tinkering- it had a setting that could see through her clothes...

Then again, it wasn't as if they weren't already _intimately_ acquainted with each other for nearly close to years now, and she rather doubted that there was _any_ part of her body that the Turian hadn't taken some time to explore at his leisure, at some point during their _many_ nights together... Not that she hadn't done a fair amount of _exploring_ of her own.

That was a given, seeing as how the whole thing was a 'first' for both of them. It wasn't like they were a pair of awkward teens fooling around. While they were both eager, the 'logistics' of the whole affair had taken a while to work out- to arrive at a point that was pleasant for both of them. As such, the first time had been... well, honestly, the best word to describe it was "clumsy". Still, they weren't going to allow something as trivial as a few scrapes and minor aches here and there discourage them. And once they'd worked out the finer points of the coupling, their efforts were rewarded!

There was something strangely compelling in all those harsh lines and sharp angles, combined with the armor-like plates and rough skin, and of course- the claws and spurs. Turian physiology had evolved to survive the solar radiation seeping through Palaven's weaker magnetic field. The circumstances of their planet had created an apex predator in the Turians- powerful yet elegant. It gave her a strange thrill to think that her lover- an alien creature that could effortless kill her- was content to lie in bed, 'spooning' her, in the aftermath of their coupling...

She felt a slight tremor course up her inner thighs, snapping her back to reality. She realized this line of thought wasn't helping her to stay focused on her present objective!

Composing herself, she tucked those thoughts in the 'for another time' file in her mind and returned to watching the landing area. Her mother's shuttle would be touching down any time now. And well, then the moment of truth would finally come... Honestly, the idea of _the moment_ didn't really trouble her, it was really just the experience of having to wait for it to finally happen.

As if sensing the unease bubbling inside her, Garrus silently moved to wrapped his hand around hers in a reassuring gesture. She turned to meet his blue-eyed gaze with her green, and the two of them shared a smile between them, before Shepard returned her focus to the shuttles...

The Turian smiled inwardly, mostly at the telltale blush she'd tried to hide, while she thought he wasn't looking her way. Before he'd met Shepard, Garrus had never harbored any kind of sexual interest in humanoids- either Humans or Asari- and had even told her as much. It was hard to explain in a meaningful way, but his attraction towards her wasn't the result of some fetish... No, when it came to her, there was just something unique to the woman- not as a human, but as Jane Shepard.

It had taken a little while to get used to all the... softness. By comparison, human flesh was surprisingly supple and smooth to the touch, and retained a pleasant warmth. Jane's body was all soft curves, and so very easy to get lost in... And the _warmth!_ Spirits, he'd become addicted to how hot and welcoming her body was when they... Garrus snapped back to reality when he felt her squeeze his hand, and composed himself, realizing that he'd nearly wondered into a dangerous line of thought- given where they were.

Not long after Shepard put and end to her more deviant line of though, her omni tool flickered to life with a chime as a swirling disc of amber-colored light formed over her right wrist. It projected a small display into the air, informing her that it had detected the Alliance shuttle carrying her mother by the vessel's transponder frequency, meaning that she'd be arriving any time now.

_"Jane, over here."_

They both to see a woman, standing just past the reception desk. Garrus discreetly observed the small measure of uncertainty in Shepard's otherwise pleased expression. She moved to greet the woman, with the Turian following just a step behind her.

Her mother smiled as Shepard approached her, seemingly not yet registering his presence. As he drew closer, Garrus could make out more of her appearance... She was slightly shorter than her daughter, but with the same fair-skinned complexion, except for usual variations present in older human- small lines forming at the edges of her eyes and the corners of her mouth, and scattered streak of gray set amidst her light brown hair (held in a bun in the back). Aside from the different hair color, her eyes were dark brown, as opposed to Jane's striking green ones. He guessed that the hair and eyes were inherited from her father. Still, he noted that the Jane had the same nose and cheekbones as the older woman.

Shepard hugged her mother, exchanging greetings in the process. Then, the elder Shepard briefly began to fret over her daughter's injuries. As he'd learned, humans were much more concerned with damage to their external tissue- hence the emphasis placed on armor, as they lacked the natural external protection of Turians and Krogans, and were therefor more prone to scarring.

Finally, his presence seemed to register with the woman, as she turned away from her daughter to look at the Turian- as what Garrus guessed was mild confusion played across her features- before she turned back to her daughter, an expectant look on her face now.

Calmly, Shepard took a breath. "Mom," she began, exhaling. "Remember how you mentioned in your message that you wanted to meet my boyfriend?" She continued. "Well, Mom, here he is."

Taking his cue, he stepped forward to greet her. "Hello, Mrs. Shepard, my name Garrus Vakarian," he began as he introduced himself, giving his best smile. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." He finished, offering her his hand. "The Hierarchy places great value on military lineage, so it's an honor the meet the mother of such a distinguished soldier and leader as your daughter.

Mrs. Shepard became silent, and Jane seemed to pale slightly, while her mother looked him over for a moment, an unreadable look on her face...

"My goodness," she began. "But aren't you a tall one!"

**(- _End of Chapter 02_ -)**


	4. Chapter 03: Mother & Daughter, Pt 1

I was overjoyed by the response the last chapter got. I just want to thank Mousey57, Analya-Shepard, ultimate_idiot, blaiseingfire, Qn_Q, Redi_Chalyn, and "Shepard Vakarian". You guys are awesome!

* * *

**MASS EFFECT  
HOME AND FAMILY**

**Chapter 03:  
**_**"Mother &amp; Daughter, Part 1"**_

Calmly, Shepard took a deep breath. "Mom," she began, trying to center herself. "Remember how you mentioned in your message that you wanted to meet my boyfriend?" She asked, her voice steady and even as she spoke. "Well, Mom... here he is." She finished with a smile, gesturing to the Tuarian.

Garrus took this as his cue and stepped forward, while the older human woman remained silent as he moved to greet her. "Hello, Mrs. Shepard," he began, his mouth and mandibles shifting into what Jane knew to be a smile. "My name is Garrus Vakarian, and it's a pleasure to finally get to meet you." The Turian continued, extending his hand to the elder Shepard in greeting.

"The Hierarchy places great value on military lineage," Garrus continued. "So I must it's also a great honor to meet not only the mother of such a distinguished soldier and leader as your daughter, but also a decorated leader in their own right, such as yourself." He finished, cordially.

Mrs. Shepard became silent, and Jane seemed to pale slightly, while her mother looked him over for a moment, an unreadable look on her face...

"My goodness," she began. "But aren't you a tall one!" Hannah Shepard exclaimed, before clasping his hand between hers, a smile now gracing her features.

Jane wasn't sure what to make of this sudden development... She couldn't say it was unexpected, mostly because she'd never been sure of what expect. On one hand, she could tell with some certainty from her mother's reaction that she wasn't upset. But the way she'd reacted... It was just so casual- _so normal_\- and that left her unsure as to how to process what had just happened.

"Well, we clearly have a lot of catching up to do," Mrs. Shepard spoke up. "Surely the two of you must know of somewhere we can sit down for a bit and talk, before settling in?"

Shepard finally managed to collect herself sufficiently. "Well, I'm currently living on-site at the nearby Alliance LA base." She began. "There's plenty of places to choose from there. We can flag down a taxi shuttle at out-processing and it'll be short ride from there."

"Sounds like a plan to me." The older woman replied.

"Here, let me help you with that." Garrus offered, gripping up the larger piece of luggage by the handle and easily hoisting it under his arm in a quick fluid motion.

"And so considerate too," Mrs. Shepard beamed. "If only all the young men working under me were more like you. Though..." She paused, turning to her daughter. "Jane, are all Turians as courteous and considerate as this, or is Garrus just _that_ nice?"

The younger woman blushed. "Well... I suppose it's a bit of both," Shepard replied. "Though, I'm a bit biased towards thinking that Garrus just happens to be very... charming." She finished with some effort, her blush darkening slightly as she ran a hand through her main of red hair.

**. . . ...o.o.o... . . .**

"It feels like ages since the last time we had a chance to sit down for a proper visit." Hannah Shepard remarked as she relaxed in her seat. "I mean, we've had what- maybe a half dozen long distance talks over the extranet or on one of those fancy... _Quantum Entanglement Communicators?"_ She finished, making a face as she strained to properly recall the name.

Jane nodded. "Yes, well, I tried to be a dutiful daughter and keep in touch, but between everything that was going on and the whole dying issue... Well, let's just say that I wasn't really in any position to make regular calls to you." She replied with a mild shrug. "It's hard to keep up a correspondence when you're dead, there isn't exactly a convenient postal service between the living and the great beyond."

He mother made a sour expression at this point. "A parent shouldn't outlive their children... I know the risk comes with being in the military, hell, I've written more death letters than I care remember, both for the people lost under me... and well," she paused. "let's just say there's a stack of letters that I can look forward to burning when I finally retire." Hannah added gravely. "But I didn't come here to fixate over things like death, not when there's so much more living to be done!" She amended, perking up.

Shepard smiled at this. "Life can really ware you down if you're not careful... I've spent these last few years constantly worrying about what the next day might bring." She began, relaxing in her own chair, across from her mother at the table. "Sometimes, I feel so tired and broken down, that it's hard to even get out of bed... But then I think about the alternative, and I keep going."

"The 'alternative'?" Hannah asked her daughter, quizzically.

"To give up and run." Jane replied coolly. "But then, you didn't raise me to be a quitter, so I soldiered on and kept fighting." The younger woman revealed calmly. "There was too much at stake- too many lives on the line- not numbers, but people... including my friends."

"Not just friends, it seems." Her mother added slyly. "I always had a feeling that you wouldn't be like most people... You took after me, the Alliance and space are in your blood- so it's not all that surprising that you'd end up falling in love with someone... different."

Jane blushed. "To be honest, Mom, there was a time when I thought I'd have to have a totally _different_ kind of talk with you." She admitted bashfully. "I was so busy being the Commander, and the men were either too intimidated of me, or just didn't do for it for me... Then, Garrus came along, and everything just sort of came together for me." She paused. "He is... I trust him implicitly, I've never felt so at ease as I do when I'm with him." The redhead admitted, still blushing as she spoke.

"Like you can let your defenses down and be yourself?" The older woman asked, getting a silent nod from the younger woman. "It's not easy to find someone that you can instinctively trust, that's part of the reason I never remarried after your father passed away."

Shepard nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I miss Dad a lot too."

"Just between the two of us," Hannah began, her tone picking up. "As one woman to another, is there anything else in particular about him that appeals to you?"

Jane smiled bashfully. "Um... Well, maybe it's just me, but _his voice_... Before we were even together, I always liked the sound it." She hesitated briefly. "And now... Well, let's just say I can never get enough it- there's just _something_ about the way words sound when he speaks them..." The woman revealed after a moment. "And I'm pretty sure he knows this too."

Her mother nodded, a knowing expression on her face. Before their musing could continue any further, Garrus returned to the table- balancing a carrier in his hand, containing their drinks. The women looked up at the Turian as he set about handing them their drinks. "Jane, Mrs. Shepard," he offered politely as he handing them them the cups, before taking his seat at the table.

The elder Shepard smiled, steam rising from the fancy coffee drink. "Please, there's no need to be so formal with me. Garrus... You're practically family as it is, call me Hannah." She offered, before noting the look on her daughter's face. "Jane, I may have been out of the dating scene for while now, but I can still tell when two people are totally committed to each other.

The younger Shepard blushed faintly, before stirring her iced fruit drink with the straw. Before she could speak up, her mother continued. "Seeing as how I'm likely to have some Turian in-laws in the near future, perhaps you'd like you tell me a bit about yourself and your family, hm?"

**. . . ...o.o.o... . . .**

Hannah sat in the back of the shuttle, next to her daughter, while Garrus was in the front driver seat, making sure the taxi remained on its designated course back the base.

"...I was tasked with heading C-Sec's investigation of Saren, for all the good it did- his Spectre status made him virtually untouchable." Garrus explained. "After the sham of a trial, I went off on my own to follow up a few leads... without realizing that Jane was doing the same thing."

The younger Shepard chuckled. "Yeah, and the next time I saw him, it was in this little Clinic in the lower wards." She explained. "These creeps had the cute French Doctor at gunpoint, and then Garrus just sweeps in and takes the guy out with one shot- like it's nothing." Jane continued with a smile, as she recalled the run-in. "Back then, I was all up my moral high horse about 'how reckless' he be was one he did that... Oh man, I can't believe you stuck with me, even with all the preaching I did."

Garrus shook his head. "I learned a lot from you, Jane... Like how to be a better officer." The Turian remarked with a smile as they sped along. "And the difference between doing things the right way and doing things the easy way." He continued. "But I still had a lot to learn... Since you had to bust me out on Omega when I got in over my head." He lamented with a chuckle.

"Listen to this guy, mom," Jane began. "He literally holds off an army of mercenaries single-handedly for over a day... And yet, he feels the need to apologize- because he couldn't hold out against hundreds of people for a second day." The woman continued. "Honestly, Garrus, you can be so adorably clueless at times. The fact that you were alive and upright when I reached you is amazing- enough to make my _girlish heart flutter anew."_ Shepard added teasingly.

"Well, that certainly explains a _few things_\- such as why you were so eager to get me up in your cabin for a private chat." The Turian countered smoothly, without even looking. Jane promptly flushed red, while her mother promptly burst in laughter.

After Hannah calmed down and managed to compose herself, she spoke up. "So Garrus, do you have any family that I should know about?" She asked, leaning forward slightly in her seat.

"My father, and a younger sister- Solana- back on Palaven." He began. "They were trapped planet-side when your daughter and I met back up on Menae." Garrus paused. "They were lucky, they managed to get out alive... As for my mother, well, she'd been sick for a while- before the Reapers attacked..."

"I understand," Hannah offered sympathetically. "Steve- ah, Jane's dad- he was diagnosed with cancer when she was a teenager." She explained, putting an arm around her daughter and ruffling her red hair as she continued, her hand on her shoulder. "Jane was still in the academy when he died... I remember talking to her for hours at a time, while she was on leave for the funeral, telling her that he would've wanted her to go back and finish her training."

She paused, rubbing her daughter's shoulder. "In the end, she went back, finished her training, and went on to get recommended for the N7 program..." Hannah paused. "And, well, that's why she happened to be on Elysium, when the Scyllian Blitz took place."

"Mom... you're making me blush." Shepard protested. "Besides, it's not like I didn't do anything anyone else wouldn't have, given the situation... I just grabbed my rifle and did my duty as an N7."

"It's more than that, Jane." Garrus remarked. "You're not just another Marine, you're 'Shepard', you're a leader, people look to you and follow your example."

"I never asked to be some kind of icon for others." Jane replied, her tone subdued.

Hanna nodded. "That's exactly the point, sweetie... Sometimes, just being in the right place at the right time can make all the difference. You go where you're needed, and that's what matters."

**. . . ...o.o.o... . . .**

The three of them entered Shepard's quarters, the door sliding shut behind Garrus as he set down the older woman's luggage. The Turian's omni-tool chimed, prompting the the other two to turn to him as the glowing interface sounded off again.

"Garrus, go ahead and take the call." Jane offered with a smile. "I'll show my mom to the guest room and help her get settled in while you take care of that." The redhead offered, already picking up one of her mother's bags and gesturing for the older woman to follow her, leaving him to watch as the two of them swiftly vanished down the hall- towards the rooms. The design of the Alliance-provided living quarters were similar to the prefabricated housing in the colonies, except better furnished.

"Thanks Jane." He offered her, before quickly retreating to the kitchen, to answer the bleeping from the holographic device flickering around his right forearm. Garrus hadn't been expecting to receive a call at this time, but given the hour- and the fact they knew his private number- gave the Turian some idea as to who might now be trying to contact him at the moment.

He activated the omni-tool, the interface manifesting around his arm, projecting rectangular display directly ahead of where he stood. The data in the corner confirmed the identity of the familiar face that was visible on the holographic projection...

It was his father, Gaelon Vakarian.

**(- _End of Chapter 03_ -)**

* * *

I'm sorry that this chapter took so long to get out. A lot has been going in my personal life, so it's been hard to find the time to work on all the various projects I have going on at the moment. I'm sorry if the chapters have seemed a bit brief, but the story is based around a small group of characters- and with only three speaking parts, I can only include so much before it just turns into padding that ruins the pacing.

On the other hand, the shorter length keeps things from getting stale, and allows me to keep a sharper focus on the core elements- in this case, the dynamics between FemShep, Garrus, and Mrs. Shepard. One of the goals of the story was to avoid the usual tropes that might be expected. It would be very easy to write the mother as being uncomfortable with their relationship, but I felt that- given the type of person she raised- that Hannah would have to be pretty open-minded herself. And so her primary concern isn't who her daughter is involved with, but just that she knows she's happy. On some level, I think she picked up on the unease Jane was fealing, so her quip at the end of the previous chapter was meant to break the tension between the three of them with humor.

In regards to future of the story, I'm really enjoying writing this and where it's going. Meeting Shepard's mother on Earth is just the first part of the story. The next act of the story will involve Shepard's formal introduction to Garrus' family on Palaven. I'm looking forward to writing that.

Now that I'm back on track creatively, I'll hopefully have the next chapter written and posted sooner than it took me to get this one finished.

_-Bojack727_


	5. Chapter 04: Mother & Daughter, Pt 2

I'm sorry that it took so long to get this chapter finished and posted. I've been going through a period where I've been playing catch-up with a lot of my current projects. Once I got started writing though, I was able to get this finished relatively quickly.

Anyway, I want to say thank you to Mousey57, Kazaru13, Redi Chalyn, and weirdsquirrelgirl for their reviews of the last chapter, and thanks everyone that's been following this story.

* * *

**MASS EFFECT  
HOME AND FAMILY**

**Chapter 04:  
**_**"Mother &amp; Daughter, Part 2"**_

The two human women, followed by a the male Turian, entered the prefab residence that the Alliance had provided for Jane and Garrus while they were staying on Earth.

The sleek metal door slid shut behind Garrus, as he paused to set Hannah's luggage. No sooner had the Turian done this, then his omni-tool chimed to life, prompting the two women to turn to him with looks of mild curiosity as holographic interface flickered to life, sounding off again.

Jane smiled, brushing a hand through her mane of bright red hair. "Garrus, go ahead and take the call." She offered in a gentle tone. "If they're calling directly to your personal omni-tool, then I figure it must be important, and from someone who knows you." She reasoned. "I'll go and get my mom settled in in the guest room while you take care of that."

The younger Shepard had already picked up one of her mother's bags and was gesturing for the older woman to follow her down the nearby hall as she turned to leave the front room. This left the Turian alone to see to whoever was calling him- it was 6:30 in the evening, central standard Earth time.

The residence was similar in conception to the kind of prefabricated housing that used throughout the colony worlds- except the Alliance design utilized more flat walls and sharp corners, as opposed to the rounded corners that distinguished the colony dwellings. And being as this was the alliance, the sterile white and black surfaces were replaced by a more varied pallet of colors and materials- closer to what he assumed must have passed for a home with the humans.

"Thanks Jane." He called over his shoulder, as he made his way through the dining room and into the adjoining kitchen- this section sported white floor tiles, hardwood counters and hanging cabinets, and a gleaming metallic sink and dishwasher. The far wall was a dominated a panoramic window that looked onto the small backyard behind the dwelling. The only thing of note was the mounted swinging bench on the stone patio that Jane had requested from the requisitions office.

She enjoyed spending evenings with the two of them on the thing, the small bench gentle swaying as they relaxed and talked, while watching the sun set in the distant horizon.

Garrus hadn't been expecting to receive a call at this time, but given the hour- and the fact the caller knew his private number- gave the Turian some idea as to who was presently trying to contact him at the moment. He activated the omni-tool, the amber-colored interface manifesting around his arm, projecting large rectangular display directly ahead of where he stood.

The data visible in the served to confirm the identity of the familiar face that was now visible on the holographic projection... It was his father, Gaelon Vakarian.

"Dad." Garrus began politely, prompting a quick nod from his father.

The Turian on the screen bore a strong resemblance to Garrus, save for that the dark silver tone of his face was gradually fading into a lighter shade of gray with age. His face bore the same dark blue family markings that adorned the younger Turian's face.

"_Garrus... I'm sorry for the abruptness of this call, I can't even begin to guess what time it is on Earth, but I thought that you'd want to know how Solana is doing."_

He perked up at this. "Yes, of course." Garrus replied.

While his father and younger sister had managed to escape Palaven, his sense of relief was tempered by the fact that Solana had sustained an injury on her left leg. She'd been stabilized for the evacuation, but a proper examination had revealed nerve damage- in addition to the visible damage- starting below the knee. Such that she couldn't feel anything in her lower right leg...

Meaning that she would need to be fitted with a prosthesis and that her body would have to adapt to receiving and processing all the new feedback from the artificial limb.

"_I'd have had your sister tell you herself, but she claimed it was too much like bragging..._" His father explained, a slight gravel to his voice that came with age. _"Solana was first fitted with the prosthesis a week ago, and she's recently started her physical therapy."_

"_So far, she's doing well. In spite of a few... setbacks, she always just herself back up again and gets back to work with therapists."_ He continued, subdued pride audible in his voice.

At this point, Jane peeked around the corner, drawing Garrus' attention. "Oh, sorry." She remarked with a polite smile. "Am I intruding?" The redhead asked cautiously.

"_Ah, Commander Shepard."_ Gaelon acknowledged, his tone courteously. _"Not at all... After all, you're practically family at this point."_ The older Turian added with a smile.

With a quick look to Garrus, she joined him at his side, her head level with with his left shoulder, her hand resting gently on his upper arm as he continued. _"She says she can feel stimulus through the limb, and she's slowly getting to grips with being able to support her weight with it."_

Garrus smiled thoughtfully. While they'd indulged in the typical squabbles common to siblings when they were younger, he'd grown more into the 'older brother' role as time went on, and the catastrophic recent events of the war had only served to reignite his brother concern...

"Oh wow," Shepard exclaimed softly, wrapping her arms around his. "That's really great news, I can't wait to hear more from both of you."

The Turian beside her seemed to snap back to reality at this. "Jane's right, Dad, I'm glad you called me, it means a lot to hear from you... to know that Lana is alright."

"_I'll see if I can get her to talk with you directly, or at least to send you a message, if only so that she can get caught up on how things on your side."_ His father replied with a smile. _"Well, that's about it... I hope the two of you can find some time to visit us on Palaven."_

**...o.o.o...**

Hannah was out of her coat, and seated comfortably in one of the cushy armchairs in the living room, while Jane and Garrus were on the couch, both angled to face her.

"The poor dear," Hannah lamented with a sigh. "Not even eighteen, a child, and she's already had to experience such a devastating loss..." The older woman continued. "Still, from what you've told me, it sounds like she's managing to get on with her life." She paused, looked up. "Well, that's the important thing in all of this... Surviving, to see another day."

"The Salerian Doctor and his team that checked her out said that there was enough of the leg still intact that it might end up rejecting a bio-synthetic graft..." Garrus explained. "Something about the residual stimulus impeding the signals from the artificial limb. What do your kind call it, 'ghost pangs'?"

"Phantom limb pains." Jane interjected. "It's a startlingly common affliction among people who've lost a limb, that they still feel like it's there... It can be pretty disturbing." The redhead explained, giving a sympathetic look to the Turian beside her. "When someone looses a limb, being fitted with a prosthesis is just the first step in a long rode ahead for them... Mom, didn't you once talk about getting certified to work as a physical therapist in the Alliance's rehabilitation program after you retired from active duty?"

He mother nodded, brushing a hand through her graying brown hair- which was now free of the bun it had been held in when she'd first arrived. "I probably still will... But for the time being, both Earth and the Alliance need all the able-bodied people they can get."

"And to think that I was considering the possibility of retirement... Only for the war with those Reapers to break out, and show me I still had a few years left in me." Hannah remarked. "Where as you've done more than your share already- and that's just counting the last three years."

"Hard to believe it was only three years..." Shepard mused. "It felt more like ten." The redhead added with a sigh, only to make a give a quizzical look. "You know... It suddenly occurred to me that I'm not sure how old I actually am..." Jane remarked, exhaling as she leaned against the cushioned backboard of the couch. "I mean, I was born in 2155," she continued. "Chronologically, I'm thirty, but if you take into account the two years that I was dead... Then physically, I'm twenty-eight."

Garrus had listened as the woman beside him explained her line of reasoning, set amidst little swishes of her hands as she spoke. "That's... an interesting question." The Turian spoke softly.

Hannah arched a brow at her daughter. "Yes well, regardless, Jane sweetheart, you look amazing for someone who was dead for two years, _right Garrus?"_ She finished, looking to the Turian.

"Oh, of course." Garrus answered promptly, prompting an amused smile from the woman next to him.

"You're such a charmer." Jane replied softly as she scooted closer in order to nestle herself against his side, her head on the rounded shoulder of his tunic, a sigh passing her lips.

After that, it wasn't long before Hannah felt a growing sense of fatigue set in. "Hm, I think the jet-lag is finally catching up with me," the woman remarked with a yawn. "If you'll excuse, I think I'll get settled in for the night and leave you two to your own devices." She finished, rising to her feet.

**(- _End of Chapter 04_ -)**

* * *

I'm sorry these chapters keep ending up on the short side. I think the main reason they're not longer is that there's no secondary plot to cut away to, which is just as well, as my intention was always to keep the focus on Shep and Garrus, so the only other characters that really end up getting any time are the one with some connection to them and their situation. In this case, it's the respective in-laws.

I figure there by at least one more chapter with Hannah Shepard, in order to wrap up that plot thread for the time being. After that, there'll be a few one-off chapters- not really related to the overarching plot of the the story- followed by the obvious trip to Palaven to meet Garrus' family. I'm really looking forward to writing that, because it's something I've wanted to explore for a while.

One last thing: Solana loosing her leg was inspired by a piece of tumblr art that I stumbled across while looking around... It's based on a story, which I haven't read _yet_. I've always liked when stories actually acknowledge the repercussions of events (hence why I'm a huge fan of _Star Trek: Deep Space Nine_).

Illustratedacorns. tumblr post/77862534026/solana-vakarian-from-a-handful-of-dust-by

(Note: be sure to remove the two spaces)


	6. Chapter 05: His, Her, Their Story

I'm sure you guys figured this story was dead, and with good reason too, considering how long it's been since I last updated. To be honest, the whole Hannah Shepard arc wasn't giving me as much to work as I had hoped, at least not to level of detail I was aiming for.

Anyway, I wanted to thank Genesis Vakarian for reviewing every chapter, and I hope that the rest of you will enjoy this new chapter more than the last.

* * *

**MASS EFFECT  
HOME AND FAMILY**

**Chapter 05:  
_"His/Her/Their Story"_**

Jane Shepard hardly considered her fair complexion, with the tell-tale hints of freckles that adorned her skin in various places, nor her shoulder-length head of fiery red hair as being particularly noteworthy in any sense. In fact, it had only served to make her stand out in a crowd, though not in a manner that was conducive to her line of work... After all, the ability to look like a character from a nineteenth Century Irish period drama wasn't all that helpful to a career Marine.

Among Jane's more vivid memories, were innumerable instances from her childhood, in the days when she was still small enough to sit perched atop her father's knee. All those moments, they weren't hard to recall, when she was only a little girl: her jade green eyes wide as she listened to him tell stories, bright red hair wild and unkempt, antiseptic band-aids adorning scraped knees. Her father, Steven, had looked so tall and strong back then: his hair was straight like hers, but more reddish brown to her burnt orange, and lightly peppered with gray, with his green eyes framed by his glasses.

Goodness, that would have been more than two decades ago- she'd been born in 2156, the year before the Alliance's fateful run-in with the the Turians and the _First Contact War_. Not that Jane had any actual memories from that time. The 'war', if it could really be called that- given the entire conflict lasted only three months, before the Council negotiated a ceasefire, with less than a thousand casualties suffered on either side- was an unknown to her. Both of her parents were active in the Alliance Navy, until her dad's first bout of cancer in 2172 had removed him from bridge duties. They'd relocated to an Alliance Base on one of the colonies while he underwent rounds of chemo-therapy.

She'd grown up during a period of relative peace and profitable expansion for Humanity, thanks largely to significant territorial gains. At the time, the greatest upset in Jane's life had been her being diagnosed with stomach cancer when she was eighteen. Back then, preventive gene-therapy was still very much in development, and there had been minimal advancement of retroactive medical treatment. And yet, life went on, in spite of multiple resurgences of her father's cancer over the next three years...

Sure, the Batarians had done their best to impede Human expansion in the Verge, employing various galactic criminal Tongs to fight in their proxy war. At the same time, on a personal level, Shepard was a junior at the Powell East Military Academy, when it became clear to Jane and her mother that her father was fighting a loosing his 'battle' with cancer. She expected to feel bitter over the loss of her father, but she ultimately came away from the experience with an important realization:

_That regardless of courage or determination, there was only so much fight in a person. Because no one was invincible, and sometimes good people died- that even heroes could be worn down, that they could inevitably tire and fall in the face of overwhelming adversity. And in those cases, it wasn't the fact that they died, but how they lived, and how hard they fought, that distinguished them._

The Batarians' efforts to disrupt Human expansion finally culminated in the "Skyllian Blitz" of 2178, when they funded a massive fleet of pirates, slavers, and other depredators to utterly harrow the human colony of Elysium in the Vestus System. But pirates weren't soldiers, and they often relied heavily on a combination of surprise and sheer numbers, to make up for their lack of proper experience and training, in order to violently overwhelm their usually unprepared targets.

Just as even the most feared and powerful criminal scum of the depths Terminus System were no match for highly-trained Alliance Marines. Shepard had happened to be on leave on Elysium, not long out of the academy and her N7 training, along with a handful of her fellow soldiers, when the Pirate Warlord Elanos Haliat tried to overrun the planet and achieve eternal fame and glory. Jane, a green Lieutenant, found herself at the head of the ground resistance, comprised of available troops and the colonist who volunteered to take up as- as they fought wave after wave of raiders.

In space, the SSV Agincourt engaged the pirate vessels. Chief Navigator Presley had told Shepard, on the original SR-1, that the pirate ships were no match for the Alliance, remarking that he couldn't even keep track of the number of ships the Agincourt had destroyed. Though the ground teams had a much harder fight, but managed to hold out for several hours against overwhelming odds. When the defenses were finally overrun, Shepard had to no choice but to secure the civilians inside their shelters, leaving her to fight off the attackers single-handed. She was no fool, it was just a matter of playing for time, holding off the enemy long enough that reinforcements could flank them.

To this day, she couldn't believe she'd survived that "death run" through a hail of enemy gunfire and explosion, to take control of one of the 50mm AP Turrets- the motors of the giant guns whirring as she unloaded hundreds of rounds into the masses even as shots narrowly flew past her. If not for the blast shield, she would have been dead the moment she mounted the steps of the turret. As it was, the area became a blur of muzzle fire, chocked with smoke and the smell of cordite. Finally, Alliance gunships appeared, doing strafing runs- shredding the raiders with white-hot slugs...

At the time, it had seemed almost surreal. Jane could still remember thinking that the lethal barrage of gunfire that rained rained death on the enemy looked a bit like a meteor shower. Funny, the notions one was randomly struck by in any given moment...

But the reality of what she'd survived had become abundantly clear when Alliance troops were the next people to come marching through the clouds of smoke... And looked at her- Avenger assault rifle in her hands, clad in the battered suite of N7 armor. Next thing she remembered, Shepard was in formal dress, being presented with the Star of Terra- apparently for "bravery above and beyond the call of duty."

**. . .o.o.o. . .**

As the son of Gaelon Vakarian, there were certain expectations of Garrus. Chief among them being that he would continue the legacy of his father by becoming an Officer in C-Sec. The Vakarian family name carried a fair amount of respect. His father had distinguished himself as a Police Inspector, so when his son joined C-Sec, he was expected to continue the tradition...

In Terran reckoning, Garrus had been born in 2158, less than a year since the Hierarchy had fought the Alliance in the "First Contact War" (as they referred it). Physically speaking, he was fairly typical for a Turian, both in terms of height and build. His marking were pretty straightforward and uncomplicated in design, a dull blue set against the varying dark grays of his face and mandibles. Later, he would note that the color was not unlike the tones of the C-Sec uniform...

And for a while, he did what was expected of him, like a proper Turian. He'd even rejected the option of applying to become a Spectre, based on his father's expectations. But after he'd spent a few years in C-Sec, trudging through the red tape, he began to realize something... He wasn't content, either with his life of the career path he'd set out upon. And so, he began butting heads with his superiors in his pursuit of justice, because his definition of justice didn't mesh with theirs.

Likening his situation to a human metaphor, Garrus was the "unstoppable force", while C-Sec and its regulations were the "immovable object". And sooner or later, they _would_ meet. The fateful encounter finally came when he was assigned to investigate charges against Saren Arterius, that he'd collaborated with the Geth attack against the human colony Eden Prime. For some reason- perhaps to teach him the futility of trying to resist the system- Executor Palin had tasked _him_ with heading the investigation. It was a lost cause from the moment he was presented the assignment: Saren was a Spectre, which made both himself and his actions untraceable. Worse yet, Saren was the Citadel's best Agent, defending the interests of the Council, rendering the human's charges of treason against him laughable to many.

But Garrus was no naive rookie, and Saren was no saint. He was notorious in many circle as a vicious and prejudiced bastard, with no regard collateral damage. But he got results in the end, regardless of the means, and so he remained in the good graces of the Council. Yet, Garrus was stubborn enough to push on, no matter how much of a lost cause the case seemingly was. Unsurprisingly, trying to pin a veteran clandestine operative with no official records for crimes- treason, seditious acts, war crimes, and being an accessory to mass murder, among others- was just as hopeless a venture. The official hearing was a farce and a judiciary mockery that would be the envy of any kangaroo court.

However, the human woman, who he would later get to know very well in time, wasn't about to accept the situation, and set out to find evidence against Saren, unaware that Garrus was doing the same thing. It was inevitable that their paths would cross, and when they finally met, it occurred during a shoot-out in a clinic in the Lower Wards... But then, with the benefit of three years worth of hindsight, it was only fitting that he and Shepard would first meet with all guns drawn...

He'd joined Shepard's crew in their quest to stop Saren Arterius- to track the Turian down, and bring him to justice, or failing that, bring justice_ to him_. And along the way, he'd gotten to know the woman as he served alongside her, unknowingly being captivated by her...

Garrus remembered when he was en-rout to Menea, Palaven's largest satellite... He was secured firmly in one of the seats in the armored personnel carrier bound for the barley habitable gray rock orbiting the home-world of his people. He was being sent, along with a platoon of combat troops, to reinforce their defenses there. The scarred Turian was certain that the moon would prove to be invaluable in defending Palaven from Reaper attack. Or... at the very least, it would be a buffer to delay the would-be machine gods and their forces- abominations of flesh and metal, culled from all the races they'd harvested, and remade into grotesque caricatures of their former selves...

It was a depressing thought, even for atypical Turian like himself. The Hierarchy became the galactic power that it was thanks to the military prowess of its people. So, now to suddenly be facing a situation were the best outcome to hope for, realistically, was a delayed defeat... Well, the very thought itself was antithetical to the Turian philosophy. But for now, he had a job to do and a task force to lead- and there was no time to wallow in despair, not when countless millions of lives were at stake...

**. . .o.o.o. . . **

The first Turian that Jane Shepard had gotten to know to any _real_ extent, was the Spectre Nihlus Kryik. He had been assigned to the Normandy SR-1 in 2183, under the pretense of observing the ship's stealth systems on behalf of the Hierarchy. However, his true purpose in being there was to observe and assess her abilities- and thereby, her potential- over the course of a number of assignments, and ultimately to deem whether she was suitable to become a Spectre.

Even more than the fact that he openly admitted to this before their deployment to Eden Prime, was his remark that he'd nominated her, remarking that he respected her determination during the Blitz and how she'd fought to protect the civilians. She would be ideally position to learn from him as a Spectre, and if she passed his scrutiny, he would endorse her for appointment into the Spectres. The Alliance had been jockeying for one of their own to join the **Spec**ial **T**actics &amp; **Re**connaissance for several years, as it was viewed as a critical first step in proving humanity's worth to the other races.

Nihlus had been something of an enigma for her, an example of just how varied and individualistic his people could be in spite of their militaristic image. He was polite and amiable in conversation, and held an optimistic view of human potential. And upon reflection, his death was all the more tragic, as Saren had likely only managed to kill him because of Nihlus's trust. Hence why he casually turned away from him to comment on the Geth attack, only for the man who had been his mentor and trained him, to then pull a gun shoot him in the back of the head, execution style!

And while Nihlus had represented the better aspects of his kind- loyal, determined, and open-minded in his views of humans and their potential as galactic player. Then person who killed him, Saren Arturius, couldn't have been more of a polar opposite- a ruthless xenophobe, with no regard for lives or safety of others, and fanatically opposed to any human progress. And yet, he was also a warning...

A warning of what Shepard might have become, under different circumstances. Both of them had seen the 'vision' from the Prothean Beacon. And like him, she gained the insight- via the cipher- that allowed her to comprehend the scope of the threat that awaited them in the future. Yet, she had chosen to resist, while he had willingly capitulated. Back on Virmire, Saren told her they were alike, that Sovereign had sensed the same 'potential' in her that it had in him- to be of use to the Reapers. And in so helping them, they could then prove to the Reapers that organic life could be of use to them.

It was here that the two of them diverged in their thinking... Believing resistance to be futile and death at the hands of Reapers inevitable, Saren succumbed to a sense of utter hopeless, which drove him into servitude- and ultimately subjugation- by Sovereign. In contrast, Shepard was defiant in the face of the looming threat, and remained determined to do whatever it took to prevent the vision of galactic doom from coming to pass. By why had Saren given in?

After all, he was better position then she was, having both greater resources and influence. Was there simply something about her that was inherently different? Surely, under different circumstances, it was possible that Shepard might have become like him. After all, no one is born evil. Perhaps then, the life he'd lived- one of violence and ruthless survival- then what hope pf any other way could there, when a concept like hope must have seemed so inherently alien...

Herself, along with Chief Williams and Lieutenant Alenko, were brought to the Citadel, to inform the Council of what had happened on Eden Prime. The investigation had been a sham, with Saren's status as a Spectre making him all but untouchable. Face with so much obstruction and obfuscation, the case was dismissed, summarily, almost quickly as it has had begun. Saren had even gone so far as to mock both them and humanity in general, via his holographic link.

Undeterred by the ruling, Shepard set out in search _other_ means of exposing Saren's complicity in the attack, unaware that someone else was doing exactly the same thing...

Picking her way though the dragnet- both official and otherwise- they soon found their way to a clinic in the lower wards. Jane entered, accompanied by her team, to find Dr. Michel held hostage with a gun to her head. Neither the thugs or Shepard and her team realized that a Turian C-Sec Officer had slipped in unnoticed, not until he'd already dispatched the man holding Michel with a single shot!

That had been her introduction to Garrus Vakarian...

**. . .o.o.o. . .**

Garrus looked around the hull briefly, then reached up to touch the right side of his face, the scar-tissue left by the wounds contrasting with the cool smoothness that would have normal denoted the surface of his face and mandible. Even to his own touch, the roughness of the scarring was a sharp contrast to the smoothness of his plating or the softer, less-armored areas.

From what he later learned, the lower right half of his face had been in pretty bad shape when he'd been carted into the medi-bay of the SR-2. Truthfully, Garrus figured that he was lucky to even have a whole face to look at, considering the damage his body has sustained. Hell, he suspected could well have lost his entire mandible, if not for Dr. Chakwaz's considerable skill, and been truly disfigured.

There was a lot of history that came with those scars, and not all of it was bad... For a while after that, whenever they happened to have a night to themselves, it wasn't uncommon for Jane to direct some of her affections onto the damage, kissing the scars as they made love. It was almost as if the woman had felt the need to make it clear to him that she still found him desirable.

Though she'd never been shy when it came to physically expressing her feelings.

Knowing that, it struck him as somewhat amusing that she would feel self conscious about the post-op scarring that lingered on her body. Once, when she'd caught him looking at all those hair-thin scars that marked her flesh- glowing faintly amber in the dim light- he'd had to explain hat he was simply curious about them. It was strange to think that the woman could behave so vulnerably. But then, Jane was- for perhaps lack of a better term- only human, and so was still subject to mortal limits.

Over the course of their association and eventual relationship, Jane Shepard had become many things for him: a leader, a confidant and friend, and ultimately a lover. It was a little strange to think that one person would become such an integral part of his life. And when they weren't talking, or confiding in one other, or saving the others life, or making love... She was _inspiring_ him.

Garrus had been born into a fairly traditional Turian family, with a father that could- not unreasonably- be considered the traditional archetypal patriarch. Over the years, neither he or his father had ever been able to figure out from where exactly he'd gotten his so-called rebellious nature- which was ultimately the main force in forming of the ideological chasm between them. And also likely why he'd gravitated toward Shepard as he had in the first place- because to him, she was a true 'rebel', and an exemplar of how to get things done as far as he was concerned.

Or so he had assumed... In truth, his association with the human woman had provided him invaluable insight into the galaxy worked. And perhaps, with the benefit of experience, he could better appreciate the lesson his father had tried to instill in him. Jane Shepard was a genuine idealist, but not naive, and seemed to know when to push back and when to give, as the situation dictated. She respected authority and the chain of command, but had little patience for bureaucracy, nor those who tried to hide behind it. And she had proven, on multiple occasions, that she wouldn't let herself be beholden to the whims of ineffectual superiors, not when they prevent her from doing what she believed was right.

And yet, as easy as it was to simply write her off as a renegade- a force for chaos- but that was doing a disservice to both the woman and everything she had accomplished, often in the face of overwhelming odds that others would have deemed futile. Shepard was rarely impulsive, and was far more thoughtful in her actions then most people gave her credit for. Jane was loyal to the Alliance, and she preferred to defer to those above her whenever possible. And yet, in spite of everything she had done to protect and advance the interest of humanity, there remained those who still resented her.

But then, this could largely be attributed to the fact that she tended to show people the respect she felt they deserved, instead of what they believed they were entitled to.

Shepard was also patient, which he began to suspect was in fact the quality that his father had wanted him to strive for. She didn't throw caution to the wind on a whim, rather, only when there was no other viable route for her. And he'd also learned that she wouldn't hesitate to kill someone when the situation necessitated it. Once Shepard had someone caught in the sights of her gun, it was a forgone conclusion that thing played out on her terms- the only variable at that point was whether the person on the other end walked away or ended up dead after a foolish attempt to kill her.

But the truth was that she was even more adept at deescalating a confrontation, thanks to her uncanny ability to appeal to the better nature of others in many cases. And the results often proved her efforts to reach out to others were worth the extra time, energy, and even the risk sometimes.

**. . .o.o.o. . .**

Once they'd proven Saren's guilt, and Shepard had been made a Spectre- the first of her species- she'd been tasked with tracking down the traitor. She now had command of arguably the most advanced Ship in the galaxy, and a skilled crew to back her up. Among them was Garrus.

Almost immediately, Jane had found something in his manner oddly endearing. He was highly skilled, driven, and confident in his abilities. Yet, at the same time, his relative youth (a year younger than her) and inexperience betrayed him at times. When not discussing their mission, or some technical aspect of the Mako or other aspect of technology, he could be awkward and even bashful at times. And the fact that he became like around _her_ was sadly lost on both of them...

Shepard had little trouble in making friends, and rarely bothered with rank whenever interacting with the various members of her crew. However, she had never had much luck when it came to relationships, at least not any that lasted any length of time. Her attempts at dating had always been awkward, and the few times they got far enough for sex to enter the picture were little better. And after the Skyllian Blitz, with her being declared a "War Hero", she found herself on a pedestal that further isolated her.

By the point that she'd been assigned to the SR-1, Jane was beginning to wonder if she was _playing the wrong field_, as it were. And her suspicions were only compounded when she began to become aware of the fact that Alenko seemed to be attracted to her. This only made things even more awkward for her, as she realized that she didn't reciprocate the sentiment. It was an odd predicament to now find herself in, wondering if she was gay, in the middle of everything that was happening. And the only argument that she could think of was that she didn't feel anything toward Liara beyond friendly interest.

She was confident that she and Ashley were legitimately friends, but Shepard couldn't shake the feeling that there certain 'limits' to their friendship. She guessed that, in spite of the Chief's best efforts, that her concerns toward the aliens aboard the ship, and her Commanding Officer's openness toward them was a point of contention between them. And while she felt limited in how she could interact with the humans that she relied on during mission, she largely felt no such compulsions when it came to dealing with the aliens that had joined her crew over the course of the mission. She'd grown to adore Tali, and came to think of the grumpy Wrex as something of a mentor, and more than trust Liara.

As for Garrus... Well, the relationship that had formed between them had been insidiously subtle, such that she thought nothing of the regular visits she paid him or the length conversations they had. For her, everything seemed perfectly natural. In her mind, he wasn't "the Turian", he was Garrus. And eve more importantly, he was a good listener, which put her even more at ease in his company. Which made what happened as time went on seem so perfectly organic...

**. . .o.o.o. . .**

_**Alliance SSV Normandy SR-1...  
Commanding Officer:** Cmdr. Jane Shepard (Marine, N7 Class)...  
**Crew Compliment:** 32 (Approximate)...  
**Heading:** Widow Relay, Serpent Nebula... **Destination:** Widow System/ The Citadel...  
**Current Status:** En-rout, from Utopia Relay (Exodus Cluster)... **ETA:** 2 hrs..._

Shepard pivoted in her chair, away from her desk, at the sound of the chime alerting her that someone was at the door of her Cabin on the Crew Deck.

"Come in." She replied, watching as the metallic blue door slid away, revealing the familiar figure of Garrus, a small smile gracing her features in the process.

The Turian nodded and stepped inside, the door sliding shut behind him. He silent watched as she got up from her chair and sat on the foot of the bed, motioning for him to join her. Garrus nodded after a moment and perched himself down the dull blue-gray sheets next to her.

He briefly noted the height difference between the two of them, how she only reached his shoulder. He also couldn't help but reflect on how she looked without her heavy armor on. She was slimmer now, the curves of her body more pronounced with just her uniform on, her slender uncovered neck and the way her hair fell against it... But then, he supposed that was more of a human thing, given how much more variance there was between their males and females, compared to his own.

"I wanted to let you know that I enjoyed talking with you last night." He paused. "I , well, it still feels a little odd, talking informally with you like this." Garrus admitted. "Shepard... When you first suggested the two of getting to know each other... _personally_, I was surprised."

The redhead smiled. "Really?" She asked. "I enjoy being around you, and I got the impression that you enjoy being around me, right?" He was quick to nod at this. "Garrus, I feel really at ease when I'm with you, and I have this feeling... That you're someone I can really trust, more than anyone. And I want you to feel the same about me, otherwise I'm just being a bother for you."

Garrus looked into her green eyes. "No, you've never been a bother to me." He reassured her. "And the truth is that I also enjoy being around you." The Turian paused. "The truth is, that I didn't want to make things awkward between us... Especially considering how little I know about human relations."

Jane smiled to herself and nodded. "It's not really all that complicated." She began. "And to be honest, I'm not really what you could call a typical human." She added, resting her head against his shoulder as she continued. "And besides, we've gotten past the awkwardness for the time being."

**. . .o.o.o. . .**

_**Location:** Sol System/Earth, United Kingdom – Birmingham...  
**Time:** 2185 (Approx 96 Hrs after 'London Blitz')..._

As soon as she opened her eyes, she knew something was off. To start with, her vision was half blacked out on the left side. Aside from that, her entire body felt like shit.

Shepard craned her head in order to take a look at herself, instantly processing the fact that both of her arms were covered in bandages. From what she could see of herself, looking down through the neck of the white hospital gown covering, she saw bandages across her sternum. She felt numb and heavy, and moving her arms and legs was virtually impossible. A pale green blanket was draped across her lower body, obstructing her view, but Jane guessed that her lower body and legs were in a similar state.

She looked over to the right, toward a window. The curtains were drawn, but she could still tell that it was late in the evening, close to nightfall. Turning to her left, she confirmed that she was hooked up to an IV drip, which might explain the numbness she felt. The only things she currently knew for certain was that she was alive- some how- and this meant they'd won. But at what cost?

"_Jane?"_

She turned to see Garrus, his figure framed in the doorway. "Garrus..." Shepard spoke, feeling a sense of relief wash over her, even as she lay there, with so many unknowns. "Wha- what happened, how did I survive...? The Citadel, it wrecked, and I-"

"Easy." He offered soothingly. "You've been unconscious for almost four days..." The Turian began as he pulled up a chair to join her at the side of the bed. "The doctor- Brigstock, I think that was his name- he said you'd suffered some kind of trauma, so they had to relieve the pressure in order to prevent you from going blind in your left eye." He explained. "That's why your eye is covered."

Shepard exhaled. "Good, that's a relief, I'd hate to have to replace it with a synthetic... They never seem to be able to get the color of the fake quite right..." She paused. "It'd drive me crazy whenever I looked at myself in the mirror." She added with a weak chuckled. "But seriously Garrus... It might just be the meds they've got me making me paranoid... But tell me, do I still have my legs?"

The Turian actually chuckled at the question, which relieved her. "Relax, you're more or less intact... at least, as _intact_ as you can be after Cerberus rebuilt you, that is." He replied jokingly, earning a muffled groan from the woman. "The reason that you feel so numb right now is because they had to anesthetize you. The heat wave from the blast _seared_ parts of your armor to your, uh- your 'outer epidermis', that's the medic term that your kind used, right?" Garrus asked.

She nodded, prompting him to continue. "Anyway, they had use synthetic skin-grafts for the damage, but one of the nurses told me me that I should tell you that there won't actually be all that much visible scarring by the time you've finished recovering." He offered. "The other day, you were well enough to breath on your own, so they took you off the respirator." Garrus placed his hand on hers. "Jane... what exactly _do_ you remember?" He asked, his tone cautious.

Shepard was silent for a moment. "I remember the final run towards the beam, and... then that Reaper fired at us... and the explosion." She paused. "After that, my armor was pretty well fucked... and I, well I wasn't much better... But I somehow made it to the beam and ended up on the Citadel."

Garrus nodded. "That explains why your readings went black..." He commented. "Spirits, it's a miracle that you survived long enough to reach the beam... You and Anderson, you two were the only ones who made it, everyone else was either killed in the Destroyer's second blast, or not long after." He revealed, his blue eyes meeting her visible green one. "The fighting- both in space and on the ground- continued for awhile after you disappeared... maybe 20, 25 minutes. But then, everything just stopped."

Shepard's eye closed again and she became quiet. "The Citadel, when I arrived... it was dark, and there was a sour metallic smell, of blood and viscera... like death." She paused. "It was like... I was inside the innards of some giant monster... My head was fucking pounding, so I was too distracted to focus on the smell or the sight of all the dead bodies around me... Otherwise, I would have been sick, on top of how shitty I already felt at the time." She continued, detached as she spoke.

The woman continued. "Eventually, I got in short-range radio contact with Anderson, and managed to make my way to... to what I guess you could call the 'heart' of the Citadel. Anderson was there... but _he_ was there too, the Illusive Man..." Shepard revealed. "After all this time, there he was, in the flesh... or at least what was left of him." The redhead paused. "He was so _fucking_ indoctrinated by that point. The implants were spreading through his body and eating away at him like a _cancer_... What was left of him, was gray and drawn, like a Husk, but not... no, more like a _corpse."_

"What happened...?" Garrus asked, concern in his voice.

She looked to him briefly, then turned her gaze away once more. "By then, there was so much Reaper tech in his body, and his mind was so far gone, that he was able to exert himself over us- similar to the the Leviathan and Reaper Artifacts." Shepard continued. "He kept ranting about how he was going to take 'control' of the Reapers, and how he was mankind's 'savior'- you know, the typical racist human-centric Cerberus bullshit." She added with a slight chuckle.

"Well, Anderson started giving him shit, and calling him out his bullshit, so he used his powers to make _me_ shoot Anderson..." Jane hesitated momentarily. "So, I figured he was going to shoot me before long, so thought 'fuck it, what have I got to lose?'" She continued wryly. "He was so full of himself, he didn't want to kill me, he wanted me to _understand_ him, typical villain bullshit... So I just through it back in his face and kept giving him shit over how he'd fucked everything, and how it was all his fault... And I noticed that when he got _really_ pissed, he couldn't keep focused on restraining me- because he was too busy ranting about how everyone was wrong and he was saving humanity..."

Suddenly, the human smiled. "Then he turns around, like he's finally gonna use the gun he took off of Anderson and cack me..." Shepard took a breath. "Except, that's when **I** shot _him_\- center mass, and he bowed over. The impact from the second shot flipped him onto his back." She paused. "I had to shoot him a third time- right between the eyes- to finally shut him up."

"Wow," Garrus commented. "So that was the final end of the infamous Illusive Man?"

"Damn right!" Jane quipped, exhaling. "If there's one thing I hate, is a self-important maniac who can't get enough the sound of his own voice... Well, there's other things too, but you know what I mean." She remarked with a small smile. "After that, I cleared my head and got ready to use the Catalyst... Except that's when things really stupid." She continued, and she went on relating her ordeal...

**. . .o.o.o. . .**

_The Present..._

Garrus was helping Hannah Shepard pack her bags into the back of the shuttle. Just as he'd finished and closed the hatch, he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see the woman in question, smiling warmly as she brushed a hand through her graying brown hair- much in the same way that Jane would often run a hand through her reddish-orange locks without realizing she was doing it.

"Admir-" Garrus began, before stopping himself. "Er, Hanna, is something wrong?"

"No, not at all." The elder Shepard woman began, one hand gripping the strap of the purse hanging off of her shoulder as she looked him in the eyes. "I've had a wonderful time. And it's been a huge relief to know that Jane is happy and able to live a normal life at last." She went on. "And I get the feeling the distinct feeling- the sort that only a mother gets- that you're responsible for a fair amount of that."

"Oh no, not all." Garrus replied self-effacingly. "Your daughter, Jane, she's amazing. She's more than capable of taking care of herself." He commented. "I'm the lucky one."

Hannah looked at him for a moment, brown eyes meeting inhuman blue ones. "You're both lucky, and more than you realize." She countered. "Garrus. It's not often that you're luck enough to meet someone who so perfectly completes you and makes happy- the way that Stephen was for me, the same way that you and Jane are for each other." She paused for a moment.

"Hannah...?" Garrus inquired.

"Jane is... an amazing woman, and I could not be more proud to have her as my daughter." The older woman continued. "But she's, for a lack of a better term, only human... Believe, I was reminded of this when I learned that she died in space with her ship." Hannah went on intently. "The galaxy can seem like a terrifying place, where the people in our lives that we love can be taken from us- in the blink of an eye- before we even know it." She took a long breath, relaxing herself.

"My daughter may have saved the entire galaxy," Hannah went on. "But at the end of day, you're the one who's looking out for her- you're the one who's there to for her, to lean on when she's tired, and to help her back her feet if she falls." She explained. "And she's lucky to have you at her side."

Garrus took a moment to collect himself, before nodding. "Thank you... And, don't worry, I'll be sure to remember what you've told me." He finished softly.

**(- _End of Chapter 05_ -)**

* * *

Finally, I have returned! And with a nice big _extra-long_ chapter, no less! I want to apologize to all of you for not updating this story in forever. But a few months back I finally got inspired again, and I've been sporadically working on both this and the next chapter ever since then. So as of the time that I'm posting this, the next chapter is already under way. I'll have more info in the next update.


	7. Chapter 06: The Art of War

Sorry for the long wait. Just a short update for now. The next few chapters will be longer, and will hopefully make up for this.

**Published: 05/23/15**

**Revised: 06/01/15****:** I went back and fixed a few grammatical issues, and expanded/added more content to the scenes, to make things more interesting.

* * *

**MASS EFFECT  
HOME AND FAMILY**

**Chapter 06:  
**_**"****The Art of War"**_

_**Location: **__Sol System/ Earth... United Kingdom – London..._

_**Date: **__2186 (Six Months After the Reaper War)..._

Fleet Admiral Hackett cleared his throat as he stood at the podium, before all the people gathered in Trafalgar Square- at the foot of the steps leading up to Nelson's Column. The City of London still bore the scars from the Reaper occupation and the battle to retake the planet from.

It was a typical overcast day, though the sight of Big Ben in the distance- standing proud and defiant in Westminster- provided some comfort to the war-weary people. The scared man cast his gaze out across the crowd, noting all the military men and women present- some of them standing, others seated (both in regular chairs and wheeled ones). Off to the side, sat a number of dignitaries, politicians and military figures- all instrumental in ensuring the victory over the Reapers.

Among them was Captain Jane Shepard, seated in the front row of seats, having finally been promoted as a small gesture of recognition for everything she'd done. That said, she'd done enough to earn herself a seat on the Admiralty. And yet, the woman had declined, siting (understandably) fatigue.

The woman was dressed in her Alliance dress blues, and sporting the shiny gold Captain's bar on the epaulets of her jacket. Bandages were visible on her beck- above the high Nehru-style collar - and on her hands, which were folded neatly in her lap. Garrus Vakarian was seated beside her, out of his blue and silver armor, and wearing formal Turian attire.

Among the occupants of the other chairs were Lieutenant Commander Ashley Williams and Lieutenant James Vega (both in formal attire). Major Coats, of the Royal Marines, was also present (not far away), as well as Lt. Kahlee Sanders. Admiral Tali'Zora vas Normandy, of the Quarian Fleet, and the recently promoted Lt. Colonel Kirrahe of the Salarian STG.

"We are here, in remembrance of the most devastating war of not just our time, but likely ever." Hackett began calmly, as he started his address to the crowd. "Once before, this City was involved in a similar world-changing conflict, over two hunred years ago... It was a war restricted to a single planet, but was no less significant. And at the end of that war, many people were left to reflect on the legacy of that conflict." He paused. "I will now paraphrase the words spoken by ones of those people at the end that war..."

He cleared his throat. _"Today, the guns are silent. The skies no longer rain with death... And people everywhere walk upright in the sunlight. __The mission has been completed. And in reporting this to you, I speak for the thousands of silent lips- forever stilled in distant world and the depths of space... __We have known the bitterness of defeat and the exultation of triumph. And now, as a single united force, we must all go forward to preserve in peace what we won in war."_ The man recounted.

Hackett continued. "This man, a General, he went on to speak of _'a new era'_... Just as all of us, all the races- regardless of the color of our blood, or the world of our birth- are now entering a new era." The Admiral went on. "An age of peace... One we payed for in blood, forged by the fires of war and contention. And as we continue to rebuild, we must remember the sacrifices of those no longer among us... They, as much as all of us, made this possible."

As Shepard listened, she reflected on his words. _"Kaiden... Anderson... Legion... Mordin... Thane... and all the others. These last three years are as much their story as ours."_

In the distance, Big Ben could be heard chiming...

"The 'story' of this conflict, is not the story any one single race. Rather, it is the story of how all the races came together- in spite past conflicts and mistrust- to stand together as a single force, united in cause." Hackett continued. "And while this great alliance was one born of necessity, I believe that it has the strength to endure, that hope of the future is stronger than the fear and hatreds of the past."

"I say this, because as I speak, countless former enemies are now working together... When we first ventured beyond our own system, the Turians were our enemy... And yet, now they have become a trusted ally. Recall, that for a thousand years, an alliance between the Krogan and the Turians would have deemed impossible, or peace between the Quarians and the Geth would have been considered hopeless. And who here among us would have believed that in our life times, peace between humans and Batarians was possible?" He paused.

"And yet, all of these things are now a reality." The scarred Officer added. _"We_, as a galaxy, the generation who grew up in a time of mass conflict, all of us are now uniquely privileged... _We_ who came of age in a time of war, and weathered the determining conflict of galactic history... and have lived to see the beginning of unprecedented unity." Hackett continued. "It is within our ability to teach those who will one day succeed us, so that those yet to be born- the first children to grow up, without the fear of the unknown- that they will never take for granted the peace they have inherited."

**. . .o.o.o. . .**

_San Diego...  
Alliance Military Academy..._

_The Present..._

"More than just the physical threat, it was what the Reapers represented... The destruction of everything that defines life- freewill, self-determination, the very ideals we hold dear." Captain Jane Shepard calmly explained, as she stood before the assembly of students. "But, at the same time, just as they were ready to callously destroy all that, their ignorance of these concepts was part of a fatal flaw in their reasoning."

The Captain was clad in her dress blues as she stood before the students.

Shepard continued. "The Reapers, and the guiding intelligence behind them believed that conflict between synthetics and organics was inevitable, and so they created the Cycles as means of 'preserving' the races of each Cycle." She paused. "There were two critical flaws in the system they created. First, by ensuring that galactic civilization evolved along predetermined lines, they were altering the natural development of life... The Cycles began as a reaction to conflict, but the Cycles propagated the conflict that as the was the justification for the Cycles. They were enslave by their own circular logic."

The Captain paused, clearing her throat. "The second flaw in the plan, was that the entire reasoning behind the cycles was based fatalism, which leaves no room for freewill or self-determination." Shepard elaborated as the gathered students listened intently. "It acts based on a conclusion that has yet to happen, by working on assumptions." The woman paused. "One thing I've realized is that a key characteristic of being alive is the drive to better ourselves, to become more than the 'parts' that make us- whether DNA or circuitry." She continued. "Now, considering where we are, I expect that at least some of you are bound for the Marine track." She remarked, smiling as she received a handful of 'Hurahs!' from the students.

She smiled. "That's the Marine Spirit I remember." The Captain replied. "Some of you here might even be thinking about applying to the N7 Program." Shepard resumed. "For those of you who are accepted, I hope that you're lucky enough to find someone who can be a guide to you, in the way that I was lucky enough to have been mentored by the late Admiral Anderson." The woman remarked. "But for now, the reason I was invited here to speak to you today, was in the hope that I could offer some insight... Specifically, about what awaits those of you who will be bound for the stars."

"I mentioned the Reapers, because there is danger out there... They are the unknown terror of the dark, the primal, not just of Space, but life." Shepard went on, relaxing her posture. "But please, it's not my intention to put any of you off of venturing out from the confines of Earth... On the contrary, while I've seen horrors in my career, I've seen so much more beauty. The Reapers looked at life amongst the stars as something to harvest, and the Illusive Man and Cerberus looked at those stars as something to rule over."

The human woman then brushed a bandaged hand through her bright red locks. "But the truth, I believe, is that those stars and all the lives around them... What they are, are a gateway- to truth, to beauty, even love." Shepard smiled slightly at this. "As you all know, I was privileged to have served as the Captain on two of the greatest ships of the line- but even more than that, I was privileged to have served with some of the finest people alongside me, not just in the Alliance, but beyond."

"From the moment mankind first activated the Charon Relay, 37 years ago, humanity became part of something bigger than ourselves and our world, became part of something _more."_ Shepard remarked. "The following decades saw both unparalleled hardship and prosperity for our kind... But now, in the wake of the war with the Reapers, we face something totally new- a galaxy rife not with danger, but possibility."

It was at this point that her omni-tool flickered to life, drawing the woman's attention to her arm as the glowing interface was accompanied by a soft chiming sound. "Oh, well, it seems we're all over due for a break." The red-haired woman observed. "Alright everyone, go out and take care of your business, whatever that might be, and I'll see you all back in here in say... ten minutes?"

**. . .o.o.o. . .**

Jane Shepard resumed her relaxed posture, back against the table, facing the students as they finished returning to their seats. "Now, what was I saying?" she began. "that's right... _the future._ Specifically, the future that many of you can expect to experience." She continued. "While the Alliance has maintained a significant military force, it is _not_ a military organization. And as such, it's chief mandate is defending the interests of Humanity, whether that be in a time of war or peace."

"The Systems Alliance will always serve a purpose- even in this post conflict galaxy- to go where we are needed, to protect," Shepard continued. "Not just our own kind, but the other races that make up the larger Galactic Civilization that we are part of." She reasoned. "This is even more true for those of you who intend to apply to N7 program- as it will test you, to the utmost, your ability to learn and to adapt to dangerous and unknown situations." The Spectre explained. "But if you can persevere and keep moving forward, you'll be better for the experience."

"Now," Shepard resume. "I don't suppose you all came here just to listen to me talk. I imagine you have some questions you'd like ask..." She continued. "Go ahead, but do try to keep them relevant."

A number of hands went up, and she gestured to one of them. "Captain, what was your preferred load-out when you performing ground missions?"

Jane grinned at this. "Well, I served as a front-line Marine with the Alliance and I was dropped into some dangerous places, even more so after I became a Spectre... I'd stake my life on the M-8 Avenger." She replied. "It's not fancy, but it's reliable, and it's perfect for when some kill-crazy bastard is baring down on you with murder in his eyes, and you gotta put him down fast with a hard burst of fire." A number of enthusiastic hoots from the cadets followed this revelation.

"But that's just me," she conceded. "Garrus always favored the M-15 Vindicator for its precision, and Lt. Vega liked the M-96 Mattock for its punch... but then, he's a Clydesdale." Shepard added. "As for Shotguns, I always preferred the M-22 Eviscerator, and so does a certain Admiral Vas Normandy." The redhead offered with a smirk. "As for pistols and sniper rifles... Well, to be honest, I was kinda spoiled when it came to options. But if you can get your hands on one them, I'd recommend the M-5 Phalanx as a sidearm, and the M-90 Indra- with an enhanced scope and an accuracy modifier."

Shepard gestured to another cadet, a young woman. "Captain Shepard, what was it like serving with Aliens and non-alliance personnel on missions?"

"Very informative." The Spectre replied slyly. "But to properly answer your question... Different races bring different things to the table: I've worked with two distinguished Asari, and they were some of the best Biotics I've ever worked with. My best Sniper was a Turian, and the best Tech-Specialist I worked with was a Quarian." She paused briefly. "I worked with a Drell Assassin and a former STG Salarian scientist, and I would trust all of those people with my life." She added emphatically.

"As for the 'Non-Alliance' personnel?" Shepard went on. "First, good on you for coming up with such a polite way of referring to some of the people I've worked with... Though, some of those people are now working for the Alliance, so they're 'legit'." She quipped. "But more broadly speaking, when it came to working with individuals who are- let's say, off the Alliance's grid- it wasn't much of a change, at least the way I looked at it." The woman explained. "After all, if you're deployed to the so-called 'frontiers', like the Skyllian Verge, then you'll pretty much be guarantied to be dealing with non-alliance people at some point- whether it's the colonists, militia, our mercenaries."

After a moment, a few more hands went up. Shepard gestured to one of the male cadets seated in the assembly, a youthful clean-cut young man. "Captain Shepard," he began. "given your own experiences, do you think that people like Saren Arterius or the Illusive Man could be considered 'evil'?"

Shepard didn't reply for a moment, as a silence fell over the cadets. "To start, both of them did a lot of evil things. But does that necessarily make them evil?" She posited. "By the time I encountered Saren, he'd had decade of experience- in which he became the person I ended up pursuing. He might not have been born a monster, but he arguably became one in time. His brother was killed in the First Contact War, and perhaps that set his transformation in motion..." The redhead paused.

"However, while he may have been a product of his time, I don't see him as a victim... No, his actions were his own, the result of choices he conscientiously made." Shepard continued. "However, make no mistake- that in spite of his xenophobia, his crimes were driven by anger and fear. And it's important to remember that the capacity for evil is not unique to Saren or his kind, as we- as humans- have that very same potential within us." She paused. "In the end it comes back to the choices we make.

"Just look up Kai Leng, if you want see what any one of us could have ended up like under different circumstances." She cautioned. "As for the Illusive Man," the Spectre resumed. "there are a number of factors in common with him and Saren." Shepard went on. "While Saren was a victim of his fears, the Illusive Man was- regardless of whatever 'noble motives' he held- a victim of his own ego. It wound up consuming him, blinding him to the truth of what he had become, and in the end, it damned him."

"He used Reaper technology on his own people, caused the death of arguably tens of thousands of the people he claimed he was protecting, he was content to leave Thessia to burn while he pursued his own ends, and nearly doomed all of humanity by his actions." Shepard elaborated. "And in the end, I was forced to have to kill him to stop him... Nothing heroic, just bullets." She paused. "That's the one mot crucial thing the stories never bother to include in the narrative- that the 'bad guys' aren't going to do you the favor of dying neatly or quietly." The Captain finished dryly.

"I guess, if I could leave you all with one final thought," Shepard began. "the most important question you should ask yourself is 'why?'" She went on. "Why you chose to wear that uniform, why are you out amongst the stars, why did you choose to serve?" The human woman continued. "I don't know about the rest of you all... But my reason for 'why', was to make a difference."

**(- _End of Chapter 06_ -)**


	8. Intermission: Embers of a Dying Light

When my other ME fanfic basically fell apart, I moved on to this one. However, there were a number of scenes from the second and third game (specifically, towards the end of ME3) that I wanted to revisit and do my own take on them. This flashback is an intermission, and will be followed by a 2-part mini arc, which will lead directly into the Palaven/Vakarian family storyline. Again, sorry for another short update.

* * *

**MASS EFFECT  
HOME AND FAMILY**

**Intermission:  
**_**"Embers of a Dyeing Light"**_

_**Location:** Horsehead Nebula, Anadius System – Cronos Station..._

_**Mission:** Secure Prothean VI... Concurrent to Alliance 5th Fleet Attack..._

Shepard, accompanied by EDI and Garrus, had infiltrated the now compromised station- the 'heart' of _all_ Cerberus Operations. Once Admiral Hackett had begun the attack, she and her team made good use of the resulting mayhem and panic- spreading like wildfire- and had fought their way toward the large central chamber. Shepard had seen this place multiple times, though this was limited to her discussions with the Illusive Man, via the QEC link between the SR-2 and the Station...

The massive circular "parlor" of the Illusive Man, with its wide 180 degree view, looked out across the system as its doomed Red Super-Giant. Until recently, this place had been the inner sanctum of the man who had first envisioned and led Cerberus. From his seat, he could observe the dying Anadius Star at his leisure, like some kind of god- lording over the faltering sun of a system devoid of life...

However, the three had been met by the empty chair at the center of the hall, engulfed in the glow of the wall of holographic displays before it. As soon as they began looking for Prothean VI, the Illusive Man had appeared, via hologram- for the third time, no less- and had wasted no time as he once more engaged Shepard in another round of banter. She had precious little time to spend indulging the man, and maintained her stance that he was misguided in his belief of ever controlling the Reapers...

EDI succeeded in activating the VI, which went on to reveal the truth of the Catalyst- that it was in fact the Citadel itself! However, it went to inform them that the Illusive Man had somehow made his way to the ancient construct, and alerted the Reapers to allies' plans. Jane couldn't fathom the man's reasoning for such an insane act- except as further proof that he was no longer in control of his thoughts.

Shepard knew from first-hand experience that invariably, everyone who'd integrated Reaper Tech into themselves had ended up enthralled by the machines. It was _insidious_ in its efficiency, _like a drug_, only far more potent and deadly than any narcotic. From the moment you compromised yourself, you were damned. There was no turning back, and no way to stop the effects... _aside from death._ Indoctrination was the devil on your shoulder, the voice in your head leading you astray, the path to hell...

It was at that moment, however, that their attention was drawn away from the holographic panel, back to the doorway they'd entered through, as it slid open.

"_You..."_ Shepard uttered darkly, her tone low and venomous as she eyed the new arrival...

"He warned you not to overstay your welcome." Kai Leng intoned as he calmly strode into the room, flanked by several Nemesis- the nimble assassins quickly fanning out along the parameter of the room- while a energy barrier appeared to cover the door. The whole time, the man's bravado radiated a hollow menace, leaving Shepard unfazed as he advanced toward her.

The red-haired woman unleashed a burst of gunfire from her assault rifle, and Leng calmly held up his hand, deflecting the barrage with Dark Energy radiating from his palm.

Shepard shouldered her M7 Avenger. "All right you bastard," she began, cracking her knuckles and flexing her neck and shoulders, prompting a smile from the cybernetic assassin. "I've had it with your bullshit- this ends here and now!" Shepard declared. "You've sprung your big 'trap', and frankly... I'm not impressed. The only one trapped in here is you!" She declared, taking a step forward.

She glared at the man. "As for that smoke and mirrors bullshit... It's fine with me, because I wouldn't waste a shot on you if you got down on your knees and _begged_ me to shoot you... So, you think you're the one who has what it takes to kill _me?!"_ Jane barked angrily. "Well, come on, here I am, now show what you've got- show me what a fucking _bad-ass_ you really are!"

The Nemesis went after Garrus and EDI...

Kai Leng drew his ninjato with a flourish. "That's the spirit, Commander... The least the great Shepard can do is face her imminent death with dignity." He added confidently. He then launched himself into a running charge- under-handing his blade- and leapt through the air...

Shepard leaned in and caught his wrist, retaliating with a palm-strike to his midsection. Kai Leng was momentarily staggered by the blow, but quickly composed himself and jumped backward, re-assuming his offensive posture. He then shifted into a more upright pose, and advanced at a more deliberate pace, engaging Shepard in close-quarters combat.

"Yes... Just like that, Shepard." He began, taking two downward swipes at her- first southwesterly, and then southeasterly- which the woman only narrowly evaded. _"The Hunt_ is always so much better when your prey struggles against its inevitable death." Kai Leng continued."When the moment comes- when the target draws its final breath and the eyes lull back and go white- oh yes, that futile hope of survival makes the victory all the sweeter." The killer proclaimed.

"I wouldn't know." Shepard replied. "Unlike you, I'm a soldier, so I don't have to resort to murder just to give myself a sense of purpose." She countered. "But then... Unlike _some_ people, I've never needed a gun or sword to provide me with a sense of... _potency?"_

"_Y-You fucking bitch!"_

He glared, and tried to deliver a forward kick to her body. But she caught his heal. Kai Leng responded with a backward flip into a kick- only narrowly missing the woman before him. Her head was spinning as he moved in and delivered a series of body-blows to her midsection. However, Shepard interrupted him as she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him down- delivering a knee to the solar plexus.

The man was staggered, and she moved in, landing a right and left hook to his face, before he was able to recover and leap back. Kai Leng got in close, bringing the blade of his sword down and struggling to overpower Shepard as she held him at bay. "This is better than Thessia... more _personal."_

Shepard began kneeing him in the ribs, but was halted as he struck her with a burst of energy from his palm, before doing a turned in time to track him as he came to a halt at the head of the large room. He then punched through the floor in with his fist, exposing a power conduit beneath the metal panels- energy crackling and arcing along his sleek form.

"What's wrong?" The commander asked mockingly. "I could tell from the moment I we first fought that you're _compensating_ for something." Shepard went on. "I've read you bio... A fuck-up, a textbook fuck-up, that's what you are." She continued. "Well, I'll tell you now that you'll have no more luck in _penetrating_ me with that blade... Then you would with you're own _impotent little weapon." _

Feeding off the raw energy, he looked to Shepard. "You... Stupid bitch! All you've ever done is make humanity weaker..." Kai Leng raged. "You were supposed to be the face of the Alliance- of humanity- but all you've done is sold us out to the aliens."

"As opposed to you?" Shepard countered. "You're the one using Reaper tech to compensate for your own shortcomings- you're hardly the embodiment of the human spirit!"

"I'm stronger for it!" Kai Leng replied, standing up. "You either evolve or you die!" He declared, as he rushed toward her. Shepard craned back, narrowly avoiding his blade slicing into her. His second swing actually cut into the plating of her armor. "Hah! Getting tired?!"

She caught his arm and locked it with her elbow across her back, then wrenched her arm and brought her elbow down onto the underside of his. The sword dropped to the floor, just as she delivered a palm strike to his jaw. Kai Leng retaliated with a side kick to the right side of Shepard's midsection, causing her to release him- allowing him to withdraw from her reach.

He stepped back, but before he could do anything, Shepard charged him- tackling him dead-center, her shoulder planting sharply into his solar plexus. The two of them crashed noisily to the floor. Kai Leng started to rise, but the woman's hand landed on his forehead, slamming his head back down. Finally, the assassin drew both legs in and delivered a double-kick to the Commander, knocking her off of him.

He got to his feet, and grabbed his right forearm- below the elbow- and twisted it, forcing it back into the correct alignment with a grunt/gasp, then gave a few experimental flicks of his wrist. "Not bad... At least, I should say, that is, for someone who was brought back from the dead." Kai Leng taunted her with a smile. "You're a relic, Shepard, a burnt-out holdover from the from the _old guard_..." He went on in his mocking tone. "And as you've served your purpose... Well, I'm afraid it's time to die!"

He appeared before her in a blur, knocked her to the ground, and retrieved his sword. Shepard got to her feet as he moved in to attack. He took several swings, but failed to connect. _"He's not swinging that thing like before... There's damage, and he's overcompensating."_ She thought silently, as the two exchanged a series of cursory blows. _"He'll make a mistake soon, it's just a matter of time, and then..."_

"You're finished, Shepard- you've lost!" Kai Leng exclaimed. "You and the rest of the collaborators in the Alliance are finished!" He continued.

"Look around you." Shepard countered. "This station, the _heart_ of Cerberus, is in ruins... Tell me, then, what have you gained, as you continue fighting amidst the wreckage of a _burning house?"_

The next attack came, and Shepard evaded Kai Leng's blade- then appeared behind him and stabbed him in the back with something. He thrust his leg out- kicking her to the floor. The assassin shrugged off whatever she'd done and turned to face her as the Commander got to her feet. Seeing his opening, Kai Leng extended his left hand, dark energy forming in his palm...

…then pulsed violently and exploded!

Electricity began arcing across his body, disrupting his cybernetics. Kai Leng cried out and convulsed as his implants went crazy amidst the sparks. His ninjato clattered against the floor, and he lurched over in pain, cursing angrily. Confused, Kai Leng failed to react as Shepard rushed forward and delivered a hard left hook to his face. She then grabbed the back of his head, her fingers digging into his dark hair, as her right fist delivered another punch to his face- followed by a second and third, before she finally let go of him- sending him crashing to the floor.

"Get up, Kai Leng." Shepard began coolly as he uprighted himself. "What's the matter? You ran away at the Citadel, you ran away at Thessia... Legs getting tired?"

"Shut up!" He spat, getting to his feet. "Whatever you've done to me, you're too late! Even if you do win, you're too late to stop what's coming!" He exclaimed angrily, picking up his weapon and rushing toward Shepard. "It's over, you've already lost!" He yelled, taking multiple swipes at Shepard.

"Whatever happens, you won't live to see it." She replied resolutely, reversing his attack and sending him crashing into the chair as she sent him flying.

"You're a looser, Kai Leng, you're not even worth my time..." Shepard offered mockingly with a sly smile. "You're a disgrace, not just to the Alliance, but humanity. And all the implants in the galaxy can't change the fact that you'll always be nothing more than a career failure and a dropout, just a loser who could never measure up and hack it on his own."

Enraged, the hitman got up and leapt at her. "Goddamn you Shepar-"

_**Bang! Bang! Bang!**_

Kai Leng toppled to the floor. Shepard held up a small, cylindrical device. "Compliments of Alliance R&amp;D... Only good at close rang, it super-charges electronics and kills machines." She explained coolly as she placed her Phalanx pistol back at her hip. "And you are about as close to a machine as a person can get- you're dead, puppet, I've cut you're strings." She finished, turning her back to him.

The black-clad man gasped, followed by a cough and trickles of blood staining his jaw, as he doubled over and fell forward, his cheek pressed into the metal beneath him.

Shepard paused at the sound of gurgling behind her, followed by silence. "Finally..." The Commander murmured to herself as she upright the overturned chair. With that done, she moved to occupy the seat as she began typing into the holographic keyboard interface...

Now seated, the redhead began typing noiselessly at the panel, when she picked up on a grating sound directly behind her, like metal scraping against metal. Here eyes, partially obscured under the light blue transparent visor of the Sentry Interface she wore, briefly flitted sidelong. The movement of her hands only stopped for a fraction of secant, before she resumed what she was doing...

...Then, in a single motion, she rose from the chair and spun around- her omni-tool powering up around her right forearm and forming the curved light-energy blade. And in an instant, Shepard thrust her hand forward- shattering the blade of Kai Leng's ninjato and stabbing him through the chest!

The cybernetic man gasped, the omni-blade buried in his chest, frozen in that moment as Commander Shepard met covered gaze with her own. _"That."_ She began as the blade flickered out. "Was for Thane, you son-of-a-bitch!" The woman spat, withdrawing her hand from his sternum, leaving the assassin to topple forward, blood pooling underneath his lifeless form.

Looking down at his body, she exhaled. "Some people just never learn."

**(- _End of Scene_ -)**


	9. Chapter 07: Dirty Harry

First, a bit of a Rant...

One of the points I've seen made for Shepard dying being the "logical" conclusion of the trilogy is the so-called "foreshadowing". From a narrative standpoint, for me at least, Shep's death at the end of ME3 caried no weight, because Shep _already_ died at the beginning of ME2- in a sort of fusion of the start and finish of _"Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"_. And just as _"Star Trek III: The Search for Spock"_ (which I **will** stand up for) couldn't top 'Wrath', ME3 could never top killing off Shepard, especially by killing Shep a _second_ time! That's partly why Kirk's death years later in _"Generations"_ was doomed to flop.

Now, given what we learned about the infighting between the production team- including claims by one of the many writers that Dir. Casey Hudson and Prod. Jesse Houston excluded the writers and wrote the final ending... Well, combined with the fact that Bioware was dumb enough to reveal the originally planned action-packed climax (via the production art book!), it seems more likely they _couldn't_ do that ending (even after a delay of several months). They try to wave this away by claiming that it wasn't true to the "intellectual nature" of the Illusive Man. Considering that the game, as-shipped, was incomplete, and required a patch to re-insert all the missing scenes/content. This is in keeping with their failure to deliver on their promise of 12+ _**totally**_ unique endings.

As for the "foreshadowing"... The only instances are the ham-fisted dream sequences, which are about as subtle as a punch in the face and only serve as forced set-up to "justify" the death. They're insultingly dumb- as dumb as the ending, in fact- and Bioware and EA deserve all the grief they've gotten.

Any way, thanks to Genesis Vakarian for reviewing the previous chapter.

Also, as the title implies, expect some movie spoilers. XD

* * *

**MASS EFFECT  
HOME AND FAMILY**

**Chapter 07: _"Dirty Harry"_**

**Location:** Earth, North America- Las Angeles...**  
Date:** 2186 (The Present)...

_"I know what you're thinking: 'did I fire five shots or six?' Well, to tell you truth, in all this confusion, I lost count myself... Now, considering that you're looking up the barrel of a Smith &amp; Wesson forty-four magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and could blow your head clean off... I suppose the real question you oughta be asking yourself right now: 'is do you feel lucky?' Well, do you, punk?"_

Captain Jane Shepard and Garrus Vakarian (both retired) were seated on the couch, in the den of their shared quarters, watching as the scene played out on the large flat screen monitor over the fireplace. The human woman had recently purchased a number of classic/iconic films (or _'early Earth vids'_, as she'd explained them to Garrus) made in the 20th and 21st for the two of them to watch when they finally got some time off to just sit back and take it easy for a change.

Jane was dressed in a white t-shirt and a pair of green plaid pajama scrubs. In contrast, Garrus was dressed in his civilian attire- one of the countless, nearly identical suites that he always seemed to favor wearing in his off time. Even now, she couldn't differentiate between them, as they all seemed to be just varying combinations of blue and black, and maybe a third color to ad a bit of contrast. Shepard sat next to Garrus, her legs folded, gently resting against the rounded shoulder of his jacket. While her companion reclined back slightly, one leg hitched over the other, as the two of them watched the film.

The Human and the Turian watched the stand-off on the screen before them, between the tall rugged Policeman and the bleeding, injured crook on the ground. Their eyes met, and for a moment, both were silent, as the crook seemed to debate whether or not to call the other man's bluff and make a grab for the fallen shotgun that lay on the pavement beside him- _in arm's reach..._

The crook relented, as more officers arrived amidst the blare of sirens. But then, in a scene that gripped Garrus and only made Shepard smile, the injured man implored the Detective- to know the true state of his weapon, if a lone round still remained within the 'cylinder' or not.

"_I gots to know." Uttered the crook. At this, the Detective just smiled and pointed the long barrel of the powerful revolver to him. Drawing the hammer back with his thumb, while terror filled the eyes of the downed man, he squeezed the trigger... And nothing. Still smiling confidently, he holstered the weapon, turned around, and calmly walked away from the bloodied scene._

"He knew, he knew all along." Garrus interjected, to Jane's delight. "A true professional _always_ knows how many rounds are in his gun... It would be crazy not to!"

The two continued watching as the events of the film- made more than two centuries ago- played out on the large screen. For his part, Garrus seemed genuinely interested in the story unfolding in front of the two of them, which pleased Jane, as she was hoping they might capture his interest. She was eager to hear what his final conclusion would be, and discuss it with him... Since the woman had something of an ulterior motive in showing him the 1971 film, beyond simply watching it.

Nearly two hours later...

_The Inspector, "Dirty" Harry Callaghan, had doggedly pursued the crazed gunman. Multiple civilians were killed, as well as an undercover Officer during a failed sting. Even his partner, Gomez, was badly wounded during a failed attempt to capture the lunatic- known as "The Scorpio Killer"- by just the two of them, during what was supposed to be a ransom drop._

_Callaghan and another Inspector- an older pudgier man, named DiGorgio- finally tracked Scorpio back to his dwelling in an abandoned stadium. Callaghan shot him in the leg, and demanded to know where the man's latest hostage was. Like a frightened child, Scorpio only petulantly proclaimed that he "had rights" and said nothing, instead crazily demanding a doctor and a legal advocate. The girl was found dead- likely killed before the ransom demand had been sent. To compound the situation, he was released on a technicality, and went on to frame Callaghan for attacking him._

_Things finally came to a head when Scorpio hijacked a bus full of children. On his own and without authorization, Harry set out to intercept him, resulting in a chase/running fire-fight across the hillside, through a gravel mill, and finally to a small nearby lake- where Scorpio grabbed a kid and held him at gunpoint. Harry repeated the same speech he'd given at the start of the film, now without the mirth in his voice or the smile. And when Scorpio did call his bluff, Harry shot him dead..._

"So, what did you think?" Shepard asked, genuinely curious to know his opinion.

He nodded, and she recognized the thoughtful expression on his face. "Well, first off, the showdown at the end proves what I said, a real professional _knows_ how many rounds they have left in their clip... or in Harry's case, how many bullets were left in his cylinder." He began. "On one hand, because of my own experiences in C-sec, I can understand _why_ Harry Callaghan did the things he did... That man, Scorpio, he'd become such a menace that he _had_ to be stopped..." He paused.

"Psych training in C-sec covers people like him." Garrus continued. "A sociopath, with no regard for life or respect for the laws of society..." He paused. "But still a coward, possibly impotent. That's why he killed at a distance... The only way he could experience any lasting sense of power or _potency_ was through the scope of that rifle." The Turian added. "But the way he acted when cornered showed the kind of person he really was... He was too unstable to stick to a plan, he would have ended up killing those children, so Harry had to kill him first..."

The Turian paused. "I can understand his reasoning for breaking the laws to stop Scorpio," Garrus went on. "But regardless of the ends, I still can't condone Harry Callaghan's actions."

The redhead nodded. "It's said this film was a reaction to the time it was made..." The woman offered from her seat on the coach. "From what I remember reading in class, the events of the previous decade- a war, multiple assassinations, race riots- had left people cynical and mistrusting. On top of that, crime was on the rise, and the people didn't feel safe in their own neighborhoods. They didn't believe that the 'system' would protect them..." She paused. "And there were some people who felt that a man like Harry Callaghan was what just what was needed."

Shepard eased back into the cushions. "Not to say the film didn't have its critics. But it was extremely popular, in spite of how controversial it was, and some people even say that it was the combination of those two that led to the sequel being released two years later."

"Jane," Garrus began after a moment, an intent look in his blue eyes. "are you going to tell me at some point that _I_ remind you of the Harry Callaghan character?"

**. . .o.o.o. . .**

The next vid they watched, _"Magnum Force"_, was a bit odd...

Though, as Shepard had remarked, one of the possible intentions of the film was to provide a response to the criticisms that had been levied at the original film- that _"Dirty Harry"_ some kind of 'pro-fascist allegory' in response to the growing crime wave in America, especially the urban zones.

This time around, SFPD Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callaghan found himself dealing with a menace from within his own- _a team of vigilante officers._

Garrus hadn't been sure what to make of this.

On one hand, Inspector Callaghan had resorted to blatant vigilantism during the course of the Scorpio case, in order to end his crime spree, and so might be expected to be sympathetic to what these Officers were doing. Even the characters themselves seemed to expect reaction this from him, going so far as to deliver an ultimatum- to join them, or possibly end up dead at their hands. However, without comment, he simply walked away from them, symbolically rejecting them and what they represented.

But why? Truthfully, it was as if the story were struggling with its own morals- never offering a deeper reason for why or how Harry was morally above the people he found himself pitted against.

Ultimately, the Turian concluded that an argument for the key difference between Inspector Callaghan and the vigilantes could be made: that Harry ultimately knew what he was doing was no better than vigilantism, while his enemies saw their actions as some form of "social justice". A lot of the "twists" weren't all that surprising, especially when it came to "revealing" the identities of the villains- which were pretty much spoiled early on by too-strong hints, or just obvious, in the case of their leader turned out to be by the end...

Still, Garrus had to give the film credit when it came to the action climax... Even after he was divested of his iconic M-29 revolver, Callaghan was still a _dangerous_ man, more than the less experienced men now hunting him realized. And besides that, the vid (or film) showed the Turian something that he never would have expected to see: Harry pummeling a man (by all appearances) to death, _bare-handed!_

"Hmm, that's more like something that you would do." Garrus quipped to Jane.

Shepard frowned. "Garrus Vakarian," she began, lowering her omni-tool. "I take exception to the very idea that _I_ would ever resort to killing another sentient being with my bare hands."

The Turian rolled his eyes. "What about with an omni-blade, then?"

"_If,_ you're referring to Kai Leng," Shepard continued. "Then all bets are off. I make it a point of being 'nice' Shepard with most people... But that guy- gah!- he earned 'mean' Shepard." The woman fumed as she looked back to the holographic display on her omni-tool. "I had a 'shit list' for certain people, and I assure you that the criteria for getting on was _**very**_ rigorous..." She explained.

Garrus kept silent as she went on. "Hell, trying to kill me isn't a prerequisite- because then, every fifth or fourth person I run up against would be on the list." Shepard declared. "No. It's the _pretenders_: the bigots, the racists in their tailored suits, with their fake smiles, the ones who brand me a 'traitor to humanity' just because I don't hate the same people they do, or because the person that I fell in love with has blue blood. " The red-haired woman explained to him as she lowered her omni-tool. "My parents taught me that a person is judged by the quality of their character, not by the color of their skin... or whatever else."

"There was a time, in the later half of the 20th century, when the two major world powers were on the verge of nuclear war... Yet, at the same time, a man named Carl Sagan was talking to people, about how amazing this galaxy was- when we, as a species, hadn't even traveled beyond _the moon."_

The Turian watched as the woman got to her feet and stretched. "Jane...?"

She turned to him and smiled. "He said something... That beyond this one planet, this 'small blue dot' as he called it. He said that _'a still more glorious dawn awaits. Not a sunrise, but a galaxy-rise. A morning filled with __**four-hundred billion**__ suns, the dawning of the Milky-way."_ Shepard recounted softly as she knelt down on the couch before him. "Space isn't frightening, it's beautiful. There's _so much_ beauty out there, just waiting for us, it's humbling. And yet, to think that a man could look at all of this majesty, and only see only something to conquer and dominate..."

"No, we can never stand idle in the face of people like that." Shepard continued, even as she leaned in to plant a kiss on his mouth. "Kai Leng called me a broken-down relic, and said that he was 'the way of the future'... and I'm sure, that in his deluded philosophy, he believe that. But I can't imagine living with the kind of hatred that he must have for all those years..."

She paused. "But when he stole the Catalyst from us on Thessia, and then gloated about it in the extra-net message he sent me afterwords, and about how he would kill me." Shepard continued. "Well, As far as I'm concerned, when someone tells me that they _will _kill me... Then they better make damn sure they do it all the way, because if I'm still alive- then _I will_ kill them."

Garrus chuckled, but Jane remained unfazed. "You know what, Garrus," she began. "I'm going to buy you a functional replica of the Smith &amp; Wesson M-29." The Captain announced, smiling as she looked directly at the Turian. _"And,_ you're gonna learn to fire it!"

**. . .o.o.o. . .**

_Later that evening..._

"I never understood why people kept choosing black cocktail dresses for me to wear whenever I had to infiltrate some fancy-dress event." Shepard complained. "First, Kasumi picked one out for me when we infiltrated Donavan Hock's party on Beckenstein..." She recounted. "And then, that bitch 'Brooks' picks almost the exact same kind of dress for me to wear when the three of us went to the Silver Sun Casino- probably as some joke, considering what a bitch she turned out to be."

"Hmm, I don't know, I rather liked them." Garrus commented idly.

"That's cuz you weren't the one who had to wear them." Shepard retorted. "Still, it's not like I hate the idea of wearing a dress." She amended, looking back at the holographic display. "Hell, if I'd known I'd end up dancing _the tango_, of all things, than I definitely wouldn't have chosen black. No, even I know that the woman should be wearing something red... and _flowing_, and maybe with a slit on the side."

The redhead sighed. "Next time, let me know if you're planning on taking me out dancing... I might even wear some sexy black stockings- _with the garters_, to boot!" Jane declared with a smile, as more looking through the catalog of dresses, via the projection from her omni-tool.

"What's a 'garter'?" The Turian asked.

The human smirked. "Sorry, Garrus, but I'm afraid you'll just have to wait... _But,_ if you play your cards right, you might just find out first-hand some night." Jane replied, only slightly suggestively. "Anyway, I'm done parading my legs around in front of people- other than you, that is." She continued slyly.

"It was bad enough having to prantz around with my legs uncovered back then, but definitely not now- not with these scars and skin grafts." She proclaimed, taking a seat at the kitchen table. "And no more black! I'm way too fair-skinned to pull that look off..." Shepard paused. "Hmm, okay, yeah... I think I've found the one that I'll be wearing for when I meet your family."

Garrus perked up at this, and moved to look over her shoulder to the display. Sure enough, this dress was in stark contrast to the ones she'd mentioned... To begin, it was a muted medium blue, with a dark blue trim. Design wise, it had a modest rounded neckline in the front, with the back similarly subdued. It also sported off-the-shoulder, flowing sleeves that came down to the wrists, and the lower half came all the way down- while sporting two slits in the front to allow for unimpeded walking. It also came with some kind of garment resembling a half-cloak, which Jane identified as a "shawl".

"The shawl will be good for me when I'm in public." She remarked. "I'll need to get a pair of matching heals to go with the dress, and some sheer stockings- to cover up the scars on my legs... Hmm, I should probably gets a set of bracelets and maybe a necklace to complete the ensemble." Shepard mused out loud for the benefit of both of them. "If I grow my hair out a bit more, I could work some braiding in on the sides." She added, toying with a red-orange strand. "Ya know, for a little flare."

Garrus sighed. "You're going to a lot of effort over this, Jane," he observed. "Especially, considering you can't visit my home planet without special protection from the solar radiation... Not that you'd be seeing it at it's best... after what the Reapers did to it." The Turian lamented.

"Garrus, none of the planets are at their best." Shepard replied glibly. "Besides, we'll probably end up booking a trip to meet them on Illium." She continued. "It's run by the Asari, so it's probably the safest place where we can find both Dextro and Levo based food."

"Especially after the number you did on the Eclipse." Garrus replied with a smile.

**(- _End of Chapter 07_ -)**

* * *

Okay... I want to apologize that these chapters keep ending up shorter than I planned. I think this has to be the the third one in a row! Of course, even as I say that, something tells me the next chapter might actually end up running longer than I planned, so hopefully that'll make up for things.

Also, I decided that since they're on Earth (and my Shep is a bit of a old/classic film and TV geek), that having Shepard and Garrus watching the Dirty Harry films would be a nice bookend for this and the next chapter. My choice of the Dirty Harry films was also partly inspired by a graphic I came across- of Garrus, holding a gun, in the style of the first film's poster. Oh, and I do enjoy _"Magnum Force"_, but I find it's the weakest of the first three films.


	10. Chapter 08: The Enforcer

Sorry that these updates are always taking so long. I've been dealing with a lot of crap in my personal life, so it's been difficult for me to stay focused on writing. Anyway, I want to thank Genesis Vakarian and AmyNChan for all their reviews- both of them reviewed every chapter!

I want to rant for a moment: on Kai Leng and his role in the game. Specifically, how he utterly fails as an effective adversary for Shepard. First off, he has no business in a _Mass Effect_ game. He's more like a lame player character from an old tabletop _Shadowrun_ campaign from the early 1990s. He also fails as a threat to Shepard, who clearly outclasses him in every way. He's a total push-over the two times you actually fight him, the only danger is due to a gunship in the first instance and a whole squad of Cerberus troops backing him in the latter.

The game has to resort to 'cutscene incompetence' with Shepard, so that the Commander suddenly becomes markedly slower and less aggressive. Shepard just half-heartedly takes shots at him and jogs after him in their first run-in, only to later turn their BACK to Kai Leng while talking to TiM on Thessia. This is the supposed to be the same person who tackled a person through a third-story window and shrugged the fall off, only to later get into a fist-fight with with a ten foot tall alien monster! While Kai Leng is this swaggering douchebag who tries to back-stab people, only to then run off when he fails, then brags about what a badass his is... now that he's safely out of Shepard's reach. Come on!

People didn't cheer his death because it's some great achievement, we cheered because we'd finally rid ourselves of a nuisance.

* * *

**MASS EFFECT  
HOME AND FAMILY**

**Chapter 08:  
**_**"The Enforcer"**_

_"It's **my** ass on the line! ...Inspector."_

Garrus Vakarian and Jane Shepard were seated on the couch, intently watching the flat-screen mounted on the wall, as the third installment in the 'Dirty Harry' films played.

Following three years on the events of the last film, the San Francisco Police Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callaghan found himself in the middle of another ordeal. This time around, the sun-drenched city found itself under threat from a small band of insurgents. While the first had shown a city in which crime had been enabled to run rampant, thanks to bureaucratic impotence, the second film had show the opposing side of the argument- sanctioned vigilantism. In both instances, Harry was trapped in the middle.

_Fore the Inspector's third outing, the winding streets of San Francisco was being terrorized by a small band or reactionaries. And this time, the gruff Officer amusingly found himself being forced to embrace 'political correctness'... in the form of a female partner, Inspector Kate Moore. However, far less funny was when the terrorists fatally wounded Inspector DiGeorgio... The pudgy, older Officer was one of the few people that Harry felt any kind of connection with- to the degree that the he actually counted the man as a friend, and his death made him the third partner he'd lost._

The Turian folded his arms across his lap as he relaxed, exhaling. His own past experiences made him sympathetic to the loss of a trusted colleague and friend, and the resulting frustration and outrage that drove the human Inspector. As with Scorpio in the first film, Garrus found himself running the motley band of criminals through his own internal psych test.

This time around, in a nice bit of juxtaposition with the first, the lead villain "Bobby" fell firmly into the realm of psychopathy, rather than the sociopathy of Scorpio. Johnny been the spearhead behind all the mayhem. The madman was aided by his fellow insurgents: four males (Lalo, Tex, Karl and Henry) and two females (Wanda and Miki). Amusingly, it seemed the 'cause' that had brought them all together meant little to Bobby, who appeared to be using it as an excuse for his own gains.

_The raid on the munitions store- that had resulted in DiGeorgio being fatally wounded- had landed the group with a sizable stock of military-grade weaponry. The 'score' included ample numbers their time's equivalent of the 'assault rifle', the **M16 **(which fired chemically-propelled rounds, fed from 'clips'), as well as a number of single-use weapons that fired a rocket-propelled explosive- called a **LAW Rocket**. Heavily armed, the terrorists now threatened the entire city. But Inspector Callaghan had no intention of allowing them to go unchallenged, and was aided by his rookie partner, Inspector Moor._

Having worked both in _and _against multiple teams, Garrus knew that everyone filled a particular role. In the case of Henry, he was the explosives expert. And like most perps who didn't stick around, he was a coward at heart, and in a chance encounter- he ran from the Inspectors. _Henry lead the two Officers in a chase across the streats, allies, and rooftops of San Francisco, until Harry finally managed to catch up and 'cuff' the man- in one of the halls used by the humans for religious reflection, no less!_

As for the other members of the group: the two males, identified as "Tex" and "Karl", didn't say much, striking the Turian as being hired muscle. However, the man named "Lalo" always seemed nervous and emotional at any given time. At one point, he was clearly frightened of Bobby, which wasn't surprising, given how violent the man was- seemingly at the drop of a hat.

_The violence in the city soon began to further escalate- leaving Callaghan and Moore caught between the crime and bureaucracy. Ultimately, the villains kidnapped the 'Mayor'- a post now more commonly referred to as the "City Administrator". The remaining terrorists hulled up in the derelict island prison of "Alcatraz" and issued their demands- extorting money in exchange for Mayor. _

Garrus had taken note of the mannerisms and actions of Bobby Maxwell. The man was a tinderbox of violence and rage, seemingly without regard to even those he was working with. While in contrast to the Scorpio Killer- who practically reveled in his actions- Maxwell was calm and expressionless in his acts of brutality. One of the defining traits of a psychopath was often a marked lack of empathy toward others. And yet, because they had no regard for others, they could be quite masterful when it came to using people for their own ends, pretending like they gave a damn about you.

They disarmed others with fake smiles, and as Shepard had put it, "even a Shark has a smile". It had taken the human woman a moment to explain the metaphor to the Turian, until she eventually likened it to the way a Varen's large mouth of sharp teeth made it look like it was grinning at you.

_Unsurprisingly, Callaghan and Moore chose to take the terrorist group head-on, resulting in a run-and-gun shootout across the rugged grounds and crumbling halls of the concrete prison. For Bobby, as his meticulous plans fell apart around him and he found himself alone. No longer surrounded by loyal followers and working from a plan, his calm ruthless persona gave way to raw panic- suddenly fearful as he found himself facing Dirty Harry in the climax of the film..._

"Jane," Garrus began calmly, from his vantage point on the couch. "I'd like to know what your take on the movie is, including you feelings regarding the character of the female Police Officer?"

Shepard nodded. "Well, for starters... We have to put the story in the context of the time it was made, and remember that gender views were radically different from what they are now. First off, a hundred and ten years ago, women didn't serve direct combat roles in the military... North America had taken part in four large-scale global conflicts before the first movie was released, and the closest that _most_ women usually came to the front-lines was as a nurse- or a medic, as they're modernly known."

The redhead brushed a hand through her hair. "Looking at the character of Officer Moore, decked out in her high-heels and dress... Well, she just looks out of place, especially at first, and she was made an Inspector for the wrong reasons- to meet a quota." Jane added, referring to the mandate given to the SFPD, in one of the funnier scenes in the movie. "And yet, in spite of that, Moore _did_ turn out to have the skill and the instinct needed in a Police Inspector."

With that, Shepard stretched and announced that she was going to start a pot of coffee brewing, before leaving the Turian alone on the couch as she headed to the kitchen.

**...o.o.o...**

_**Location:** Sakeris Station (Non-Orbiter Vessel)..._

_**Status:** Geo-stationary... Lagrange Point between Palavan and Menae..._

Solana Vakarian gripped the bars to either side of her with her talons, taking a slow deliberate breath, before she exhaled took a step forward...

Suddenly, the female Turian was bombarded with a rush of sensations- chiefly in her left leg, from the 'knee', downward. Following her near miss during her and her father's escape from Palavan, she'd been fitted with a fairly state-of-the-art prosthetic. And so now, she was undergoing the process of learning how to walk- except this time, sans half of her left leg. Though, she realized that her simply being alive to bemoan her predicament made her one of the "lucky" ones.

Her nervous system was overwhelmed by the 'throbbing' feeling that it was registering from the still largely untested artificial limb, and it took all she had not to fall... again. Solana was determined to get the hang of walking in her condition, if for- for no other reason- than to avoid the sympathetic coddling sure to come from her older brother and her father.

She tensed up, trying to maintain her hold on the guide bars...

Growing up, Solana had had a fairly typical brother-sister relationship with her brother. Physically speaking, Garrus largely took after their father, while she generally resembled their mother- with both her flesh and plates being a lighter range of grays. Though, interestingly, her older brother had inherited more of their mother's curves- mainly in his hips and the way his waist tapered. She, on the other hand, took after their tall, slender father, and was almost as tall as Garrus.

Since they were little, Garrus had always struggled to keep his naturally rebellious nature in-check, so as to be a 'proper' Turian, being the more emotional and impulsive of the Vakarian children. In contrast, Solana tended to be more reserved of the siblings (at least until she could get a read on the situation), though she'd always had a rather sharp wit, especially when it came to dealing with her brother.

Solana exhaled and, still gripping the bars, lifted her left leg up off the ground, then cautiously planted the 'heel' on the ground. Thanks to the support bars, she could move without putting the bulk of her weight on the prosthetic she was still coming to grips with. The female Turian slid both hands across the smooth bars, her upper body following as she leaned forward...

This was it, the point where she would lift her right leg up, and in so doing, see if she was finally able to start depending on the prosthetic...

Truthfully, the previous times she'd reached this point, her rehabilitation had faltered- along with her body- as she'd let out a hiss and unceremoniously toppled forward. Though, thankfully, that had only happened the first time. After that, she'd managed to get enough control so that her next few falls had been limited to just her knees buckling under her.

...She grunted as her right foot left the floor, briefly seeing white in her field of vision, before it finally came to rest alongside the other foot. It had required a major exertion on her part simply not to end up falling on her face. And yet, as she'd learned in previous physical therapy sessions, that any success- no matter how minute- was still a success. She'd learned to take these little victories where she could.

**...o.o.o...**

"_Every day, for the past ten years, Loretta there's been giving me a large black coffee. Today, she gives me a large black coffee, only it has sugar in it- a **lotta** sugar... So, I came back to complain. Now, you boys put those guns down." Harry Callaghan instructed, the aforementioned cup still in-hand._

Garrus and Jane watched, enthralled as the scene played out.

_The criminals in question responded to the command in a far less measured way than the lone Police Inspector had addressed them in. "Well, we're not just gonna let you walk out of here." He replied, the faintest hint of a smirk on his face. When the lead crook questioned him as to what he meant by 'we', Harry wordless reached inside his jacket- still holding the coffee- and calmly drew his iconic revolver. "Smith and Wesson... and me." He proclaimed, as he brandished the powerful weapon. Whether from shock, amusement, or uncertainty, the crooks shared a nervous glance and chuckle. _

_Harry remained deathly silent, before breaking the silence again and upping the stakes with his next declaration to the men: "Go ahead, make my day." Confronted with such a challenge, the three men all turned their guns on the Inspector, only to be gunned down effortlessly by the man!_

Garrus glanced over to Jane, noting that the human woman was sporting a bright smile on her face, a fresh cup of coffee in her hands. She was currently dressed in a loose-fitting t-shirt and a pair of shorts, the bandages on her arms and legs having been removed and replaced with fresh ones. They both noted that the blood stains were almost nonexistent, similar to progress of her skin grafts.

The Turian reflected on the vid playing on the large screen. One of the first things he'd noted was the change in Harry's appearance... The man who played him was seven years older, and this was reflected in the character. The man's hair, once full and brown, was thinner and (mostly) gray, and the masculine lines of his face had deepened and his features become more weathered and pronounced. The Inspector had aged visibly in the years since his last on-screen outing... Yet, he was just as dangerous as he was in his first appearance, over a decade prior. The fact that he'd effortlessly taken out the robbers- without spilling any 'coffee', _no less_\- proved this. Between his skill with a gun, his gravelly voice, and steely-eyed glare, the man was pretty damned intimidating- by any standard!

And a quick glance showed that the grinning redhead beside him on the couch was reveling in this!

"Glad to see you're enjoying this so much, Jane." Garrus commented. "You wouldn't happen to have a _thing_ for the Inspector in these vids, now would you?" He teased.

The human woman just smirked. "Hmm, let me think... A genuine tough guy, deadly precise with a gun, piercing eyes and a deep voice." Shepard recounted with a smile. "Sure, I guess so... But what I just described... sounds like someone else I know. _But who?"_ She asked teasingly.

**. . .o.o.o. . .**

_A string of murders, the first in San Francisco- all with a common theme- had brought Inspector Harry Callaghan to the small community. Unlike the large developed metropolitan scenery of San Francisco, San Paul was a quiet Seaside community. Another difference from his native turf, was the the citizen's reactions to Harry- ranging from apathetic, to outright hostile._

_The first killing established the modus operandi of the killer: two bullets, fired at close range- first in the groin, then the head. And yet, in spite of the brutality of the kill, a justification was given: that of a victim repaying their victimizers. And soon, a second murder- a man sitting on the San Paulo Beach- was carried out, the same way, creating a link to the first, and pulling Harry into the case again. He was just one man, and the Chief of Police was uncooperative, repeatedly trying to get rid of him._

Jane had explained that the transition from one decade to another had seen periods of great social and political upheaval. The superficial conformity of the 1950s had given way to a cultural revolution in the early 1960s- from the assassination of the US President John F. Kennedy in 1963, the country entering an unpopular war two years later, then the assassinations of civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 (within two months of each other).

The people, as a whole, grew angry and divided- in the face of a war and a rising crime rate- and this was reflected in how the 1970s played out. There had been yet another significant cultural shift during the end of the 70s and the the start of the 1980s. While the first half of the century had been marked by three large-scale wars, followed by two decades of smaller conflicts amidst civil unrest. By the 1980s, many people were disillusioned and cynical, faced with a system they no longer trusted. And in spite of all their patriotic jingoism and the chest-thumping, the traditional figures of authority had lost face.

Being the 4th entry in the series of films, the story was surprisingly daring- with the case that the Harry Callaghan character was investigating taking him out of his home city, into a smaller and more isolated community, with him as the outsider. Unlike the previous three outings, the Inspector had no personal stake in the case. In fact, Harry was facing _so many_ threats within the city, that he had been effectively sent away to allow the heat on him to let up. And yet, as was ultimately the case, trouble has a way of following the man, regardless of where he happened to be located.

And of course, if all the mayhem following him around weren't enough, the Inspector had acquired an _even_ more powerful handgun this time around!

**. . .o.o.o. . .**

_From the start of the film, the identity of the killer was clear- a blonde-haired woman with steely blue eyes, named Jennifer Spencer. The true mystery was her motive in all of this- why was she killing these men, and with such brutality? Gradually, a story of depravity and violence emerged as the body-count grew, and a common link between between the victims... _

_The first two were losers, scum, with no redeeming qualities. While the third had made something of himself in the following years. He was a successful businessman now, he was "respectable". Yet, when confronted, he'd pleaded pathetically for his life, just as the others. He begged, tried to bribe her, and ultimately made a failed grab for a gun, only to end up with a .38cal slug in his groin, and a second in his head! The local Chief of Police, a pudgy red-faced man, was apoplectic, as he tried to cope with the string of brutal murders in his small jurisdiction. _

_But Jennifer's work was only half-finished: Six would pay with their lives. Wilburn, Kruger, and Tyrone were dead, while three yet remained: Ray Parkins, Mick, and... The woman they'd brutalized was back, for more than just revenge. Not just to take their lives, but to 'violate' them as they had done to her. Ray was a vulgar harpy of a woman, and Mick a vicious (and likely impotent) psychopath. Ironically, Harry ended up crossing paths with Jennifer, and a chemistry formed between them._

Garrus continued to watch as the story unfolded before him. Unlike the more black-and-white morality of the previous three films, this was much more gray. The "victims" of the film, from what he'd seen of them in the past and (the then) present, were scum... In the first film, Scorpio's murders were the result of a disturbed mind. In the second film, the vigilantes genuinely believed their actions were ultimately justified. And in the third film, the criminals saw themselves as "revolutionaries". However, this time around, even Harry was having a difficult time cracking the case...

Effectively on his own, he was trudging through the dragnet of possible leads- something to link the suspects, and figure out a motive that would lead him to the killer. Unlike the previous three entries in the series, this was a revenge story at its core- with Harry caught up in the middle of it. Garrus rubbed his chin as he considered the implications of the story... To begin, some people would argue that what Jennifer was doing was justifiable, especially when considering the heinousness of what was done to her. And yet, her actions went in the face of the very idea of law...

Regardless of whatever flaws, the _rule of law_ existed as a bulwark to protect society from falling into anarchy. And yet... The Turian wasn't sure if he wouldn't have done something along the lines of what Jennifer had done, had something similar happened to him, or Spirits forbid, to Shepard...

Garrus had lived both sides of the coin: first as the lawman, and then as the vigilante. If not for Jane's intervention, stopping him from killing Sidonis. He'd spent a year of his life looking through scope of a rifle, taking the lives of those he (and much of society) would deem "guilty". The power one felt when they held others in their cross-hairs... As he thought of the red-haired human woman he'd fallen in love with, he feared that he would go to any length- do anything for her.

If you knew there were people out there, people who had ruined your life, still alive and free, and that no one was doing _anything_ about it... Could you, _would_ you be willing to pick up a gun and take things into your own hands? It was a difficult question, and the film gave no clear-cut answers.

As the film's story progressed, it weaved a narrative, one in which no one involved could be viewed as being totally innocent. Perhaps one of the oddest things about this, was that Inspector Callaghan had no personal stake in the case- it was, as so many others had pointed out- outside his jurisdiction... And yet, he remained undeterred in his investigation, treating it the same as he would a crime committed within his own jurisdiction. He literally had nothing to lose by walking away from the case.

Yet while staying, he could very well lose his life at this rate...

Not that he wasn't prepared. The Inspector unveiled a new weapon- even more powerful than his iconic Smith &amp; Wesson M-29 Revolver. Callaghan had come into the possession of an AMP Auto-Mag Model 180: an _obscenely_ powerful semi-automatic handgun, chambered for seven-round .44cal clips!

Garrus couldn't help but admire the man's composure under pressure. He'd had more guns pointed at him in a single day then most would in a lifetime. And while Callaghan focused on Mick, Jennifer went after Ray- the disgusting woman unapologetic for her actions, right to the end. Unlike Tyrone, Ray had faced her imminent death with grim resignation and defiance, opting to swill an alcoholic beverage and cast an insult at the woman who held her life in her hand...

Unlike the first three (male) victims, the second round fired had hit Ray in the sternum (piercing her human "bosom")- as opposed to the groin, in the case of the males Shepard had remarked that such a wound was significant to mammalian females- such as humans (and Asari)- who breastfed their yound. The shot was a gender-specific attack!

_Things came to a head when Mick went after Callaghan. Along with his two flunkies, he attacked and beat up the man, throwing him into the harbor (to drown), while he then went after Jennifer. However, the Inspector survived and re-armed himself with his monstrous 44 Auto Mag._

_Mick was obsessed with exerting himself over Jennifer, as if to prove to himself that he was capable of such a thing, and had taken her captive. And yet, Jennifer had refused to meekly accept her fate at his hands, fighting back... Until Harry Callaghan appeared, the human's tall figure back-lit intimidatingly in the dim light, the fully-loaded Auto-Mag in his hand. He effortlessly dispatched the others, leaving only himself and Mick standing, locked in a standoff._

_Callaghan seamlessly repeated his line from the start of the film, daring Mick to "make his day." And with that challenge issued, Mick took the bait- and Callaghan shot him- ending the conflict..._

**. . .o.o.o. . .**

_Later that night..._

Captain Jane Shepard looked over the list of names on the data-pad. "I'm serious about this, Garrus," she began intently. "I'm ready and willing to adopt." She explained.

The two of them were seated at the large rectangular glass-topped dining table, next to the kitchen, and had finished eater not long ago. Though the human woman had wasted little time- the dishes still on the table- as she activated her omni-tool and brought up the list.

The Turian regarded her for a moment. "Are you sure about this?" He began, taking a drink from the tall narrow glass in his hand. "Jane, this would mean taking on all the responsibilities that would come with caring for a Turian child, and that means a _dextro-based_ child." Garrus added.

The redhead nodded. "Garrus, please, I have some experience in _cross-species relations_..." She replied with a sly smile. "And no, before you respond, I'm not just talking about the two of us in the bedroom." Shepard went on, still smiling. "Christ, we've been together for over three years now... _Plus_ we've been sharing the same fridge in the kitchen since we moved in together, and as is pretty obvious, neither one of us has once ever dropped dead from anaphylaxis."

Garrus seemed to relax slightly in response to her reasoning. "The way I see it," she continued, leaning back in the chair. "It's no different from _me_ asking _you_ to take on all the responsibilities that come with raising a human child, which- as you know- means raising a _levo_-based child." She replied with a calm but determined expression. "So then... what about you?"

The Turian nodded after a moment. "If you're prepared for this, Jane, then I am prepared to go through with the adoption process as well." He replied determinedly. "I have no problem with being a 'father' to a human... Because all that matters is that they're _our_ children."

Shepard smiled. "Good, as I would have no problem being a mother to a Turian." The human woman replied gently as she went on. "I'd like to adopt a boy and a girl." She paused. "And I was thinking that maybe we could name the boy after my dad, and the girl after your mom."

**. . .o.o.o. . .**

"_You're saying that Captain Shepard is willing to to not just take on the responsibilities of raising one of our kind, but she wishes to name the female- regardless of species- after Tosanna?"_

Garrus nodded, sitting at the metal and glass-topped dining room table. The kitchen counter and the sliding glass backdoor were visible behind him. The Turian was at his portable computer, talking with his father on Palaven- via the newly deployed com-buoy systems. "Yes... provided that the male child- also, regardless of species- is named after her father: _Steven."_

"Jane's talked about her dad a few times. He was an Officer in the Alliance, and he likely would have gained his own command on a respectable ship in the fleet, if not for the fact that he'd become stricken with a terminal illness that ultimately took his life." Garrus recounted.

His father nodded sympathetically. _"Not every soldier dies on the battlefield, or the bridge of a ship."_ Gaelon replied. _"But it doesn't detract from everything that he accomplished."_

His son nodded. "Based on what Jane's said, he seemed like a honorable man, and I got the impression that they were close." Garrus replied thoughtfully. "And, she says she inherited her red hair from him." The scarred Turian recounted. "Anyway, Dad, I think she wants the names to serve as a, um, tribute to our late lost parents- to mom, and to her father."

Gaelon Vakarian nodded. _"That would make sense,"_ the elder Turian began._"It's hardly an exclusively human practice- Solana was named after her maternal grandmother, and your mother and I considered naming you after your uncle for a while."_ He added. _"But to the point... I consider it an honor that she wants to name my future granddaughter after Tosanna."_

Garrus smiled. "Jane'll love to hear that." He replied. "So anyway, Dad, how is Solana doing?"

"_Considering the damage... Your sister is doing very well."_ His father answered. _"Her natural nervous system seems to be accepting the input from the prosthesis, and she's gradually learning to walk with it. Though I'm sure she'd prefer to tell you herself, so try and act surprised when she does."_

"That's great." The younger Turian replied. "And don't worry, I will."

**. . .o.o.o. . .**

Interestingly, there was a fifth installment in the 'Dirty Harry' film franchise, following a five year gap after the release of _"Sudden Impact"_. This film, entitled _"The Deadpool"_, depicted the aging Inspector investigating a string of celebrity killings- only months from retirement...

The story was strange and simple, and it was a week note for the series to end on, leaving the franchise without a proper conclusion. It wasn't until several decades later, when holographic technology became sophisticated enough to allow the creation of a computer-generated, near photo-realistic film to serve as a proper sendoff to the series. The film, _"Harry Callaghan: RIP"_, depicted the now-retired Callaghan in the year 1993, as he ended being drawn into the gang wars in Las Angeles.

_That night..._

Jane and Garrus were seated on the floor of the living room, as the human and the Turian went about checking the former's still-healing injuries and changing the bandages. The discarded wrapping sported markedly less blood stains than previous instances- a sign that her skin grafts were taking.

"Now that we've settled on the names of the children," Shepard spoke as she went about wrapping her right arm with fresh bandages. "that just leaves us to work out the matter of the family name."

Garrus looked up, as he finished applying fresh bandages to her left leg. "The kids, or you?" He asked as he went on to begin wrapping up her right leg.

"Both." Jane replied simply, as she began wrapping her left arm. "I mean, I'll be registered with both the Alliance and the Hierarchy..." She paused. "The way I see it, it makes the most sense for me to keep using my family name professionally, as a Captain." The woman went on. "But since I am marrying in to _your_ family, I can be 'Jane Vakarian' in our private lives."

The Turian didn't respond right away, silently rolling over the idea of her with _his_ family name in his head a few times. "Jane... taking on my family's name, you'd be recognized in the archives of Palavan as as a member of the Vakarian, and my mate." He explained, his tone slightly emotional.

Shepard smiled at him. "I told you I was in this for the long haul, didn't I?" The redhead countered as she finished wrapping up her arm. "I'd like nothing more than for us to be formally married, or bonded, or whatever you wanna call it." She replied. "_Shepard_ is about to retire. I'm ready to just be Jane now, and I want be more than just a soldier... like a wife and a mother?"

Garrus smiled. "You are amazing, Jane." He replied, leaning in the kiss her. "I couldn't imagine a more perfect person to share my life with than you." The Turian added.

"It's the same for me." She replied, resting her forehead against his. "All these years... You, Garrus, you were person that I was waiting for, to make my life complete."

**(- _End of Chapter 08_ -)**

* * *

This chapter turned out to be a lot of fun, very fluffy and lots of character building. The lighter tone of this story has allowed me to explore the more fun side of Shakarian, and how cute they are together.

Anyway, the next chapter will be the setup for the Palaven arc, which I'm looking forward to.


End file.
